Speak
by babylou23
Summary: Bella moves back to folk in hope that her daughter Leah will get better, then Leah makes friends with the boy next door and maybe a father's love is just what the daughter ordered.EXB R&R OCC Copward,daddyward
1. prologue speak

_**Huge thank you to my beta Beth. Pictures on my blog, check it out, the link is on my profile. **_

_**I do not own Twilight, but I do own Speak. Copyright to babylou23**_

**Prologue**

**Edward**

My heart is beating so unbelievably fast that I am scared everyone in the fucking building can hear it. I have been involved with robberies before, but I'd always been on the other side. I am usually calm and in control of my actions; I follow my orders and complete the tasks that are given to me. I love the praise I receive when I get everyone out of the building safe and alive, while the chief locks up the bad guys. I've always loved my job.

But right now, all my skills and training are fucking useless. In the pit of my stomach; I can feel the panic crawling its way up to the surface, while I sit on the cold, marble floor of a small bank in Forks, Washington. I pray that I get out of here safe and alive. I'd better get out of here soon; I need to get back to my kids and the love of my life.

Tears coat my eyes when I think of how I may never see my family again-if I don't get out of here. I finally have everything I've ever dreamed of, and that tall blond-haired son of a bitch that is pacing in front of me can take it all away from me, any fucking minute now.

I think about my son and how he has been my rock for the last five years; he captured my heart the moment he was born with his big green eyes and gentle smile. I'm still amazed at how much he looks like me. My mom loves it and says that I got lucky with him. My mom never did like Anthony's mother, but she worships Anthony. He is my pride and joy.

My thoughts turn to my little princess, and how she melts my heart every time I see her. She has been making so much progress since I met her. From the moment she stood in my house, I couldn't help but fall in love with her warm heart, shy smile, and warm chocolate eyes. I felt the need to protect her from all the bad in the world. To make sure she feels relaxed and safe every day. She may not be mine by blood, but she is _my_ princess, _my_ little girl.

Tears are now falling on my hands. I have never been ashamed of crying, but I don't usual do it in front of anyone, except my mom and Bella. God, my heart aches when I continue to think about Bella. I cannot lose her, I just found her. She is the only woman who has ever completed me, _all_ of me; heart, body, and soul.

I long to feel her in my arms again, tell her how much I love her, make love to her, and cherish her every minute of the day. I never even knew I was broken, until I met her. She healed me, by opening up my heart and sealing it again, with love and passion that I never knew existed. She is my angel who was sent to rescue me and my son. She showed us what real happiness and true love is. For the first time, my life is complete, my family is complete. I cannot leave my family now. I _will not_ leave my family now.

I'm pulled away from my thoughts when I hear that bastard start shouting at a woman sitting across from me.

"Shut up!" he yelled at her. "I told you not to speak."

The young woman pulls her son closer to her and cries into his hair. At that moment I'm thankful that my family isn't here, at least I know they are safe outside in the car.

"No one talks, or I will start shooting," he yells-while turning in a circle, waving his fucking gun at everyone. I close my eyes and continue to think of my family that are only a few feet away, outside of harm's way.

A couple of hours have passed, and I'm still sitting on the floor. I have been thinking of all the things that I want to do with my family when I get out of here, when I realize that the robber has been very quiet. Maybe, I can get him to talk to me and I can just explain my job and position in this town; maybe make a deal with him? I'm thinking of different ways to approach him with my decision when I hear a woman scream. Before I know it, I'm on my feet and rush towards the place where I heard the scream come from.

"Let her go right fucking now, you bastard!" I yell at him.

I pull his arm away from the small woman that he has pinned on one of the desks. I look at her and can see fear and relief in her eyes. Her back is on the top of the desk, while her legs dangle from the side; her entire body is shaking and tears run silently down her face.

I clutch my hand into a fist as he stares at me with his dull dark dirty gray eyes, his chest heaving, from his fast, heavy breathing. His mouth is mashed into a straight line and he glares at me with anger and rage. I'm sure I look the same as him, as I can feel the anger building inside me.

"I warned you." He spits in my face. He's standing in front of me, we're face to face, nostrils flared. I just want to go home and this fucking prick is pissing me the fuck off.

"I. Don't. Care." I spit every word slowly and harshly. "Leave her alone, and let us fucking go!" I have had enough. I have just lost 4 hours of my life waiting for this nightmare to be over and I'm not waiting any longer.

I am going home. Right now!

He laughs in my face.

"Make me," he challenges, and to prove his point he grabs the woman that he just assaulted by the hair, she yelps with pain. I mold my hand into a fist and connect it with his face. I no longer have control of my actions; the anger has taken over me.

It takes him a couple of seconds to realize what has happened, he lets go of the girl and lunges at me, knocking both of us on the floor. There are punches and kicks being thrown in every direction, while we roll around on the floor. I try to block out the screams in the background as we continue to roll around like 5 year-old boys.

The robber frees his hand and hits me in the eye with the back of the gun that was in his back jean pocket. Within seconds, he's on top of me, punching my face with his fists. I bring my right knee up and kick the fucker in the side to get him off me, causing him to drop his gun on the floor. I have about 30 seconds to grab the gun and end this nightmare, but the robber must have noticed my plan because we both jump towards it at the same time.

With both of our hands on the gun, I kick, punch, and bite him; I even pull the fucker's greasy blond hair like a girl, trying to get him to drop the gun. However, he is stronger than I guessed, and he attacks me with just as much force. He grabs the side of my face, pulls my head off the floor, and bashes it repeatedly off the marble ground. A sharp pain rips through my body. I try to focus on where the gun is and not the pain in my head.

"Let fucking go!" he yells. I growl in response. I am not letting go; my life is depending on this.

He looks at me while he grabs my hair again. I know he's about to bang my head against the marble again, so I quickly pull my head back and smash it against his with as much force as I can muster. We both groan in pain from the impact our heads created while our hands still fumble around for the gun.

"I'm going to fucking kill you for that," he says snickering darkly.

I lunge forward towards him, trying to pull the gun from his hand in the process. I curse at him, hoping that this will distract him enough to steal the gun; I can feel it slipping from his hand, so I pull it closer to me. Any second all of this will end. He pulls the gun back towards him, and we continue to roll around on the floor. I don't know how, but I manage to pin him underneath me. My knees pinned his thighs to the ground, but both of our hands still pull the gun back and forth between us.

I suddenly freeze and my eyes grow wide as I hear the gun fire.

He looks right at me, his eyes as wide as mine. I don't have time to think of what just happened. I hear the screams that surround me, and my body suddenly grows heavy; I sway a little.

I jump when the gun fires again.

The screams get louder and my body grows heavier. I can no longer feel my legs, and my arms feel like they are about to fall off.

My body sways to the side until I fall limply on the floor. I can't move anymore. There is a sharp pain in my head, and there is a burning going on inside of me somewhere.

I look over my shoulder trying to see if the robber is still there, but everything is blurry and I can't focus on anything. I think about my amazing family and how much I love them instead of focusing on the pain. I pray that they will be safe; I pray that they can forgive me, I pray that I can see them right now, and that I can hear their voices once more. I pray for my life, praying is all I do until the blackness consumes me.

_**What do you think, please review. **_


	2. Chapter 1

**Thanks to my beta, cedward2417. Thank you for giving my story a shot. I am new to this and a slow writer - just warning you.**

**I don't know Twillght just these crazy kids and plot line.**

Speak chapter 1

BELLA

"Rose, I have to move. I can't stay here forever," I explained for the hundredth time.

"You know I love having you and Leah here; you can stay as long as you want! Besides, Forks is just too far away!" she whines.

I sighed loudly as I continued to watch Rose brush her manicured nails through my daughter's hair.

Rosalie Hale is one of my best friends. I met her when I moved to Phoenix to attend the same college as my boyfriend, Jake. I had been accepted to Dartmouth, but not only could I not afford that type of college, but Jake could not go there. We both agreed that Phoenix was the best place for the two of us. On my first day, I was running late for my class when I bumped into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. As it just so happened, I spilt my coffee all over her. She looked at me with her huge baby blue eyes and started to laugh. Then she told me that I was paying for her dry-cleaning, flipped her blonde hair, and asked if I wanted grab another cup of coffee with her. I went with her only because I knew that I had no hope of getting to class on time now, and I didn't want the attention I would get if I walked in late. We've been the best of friends ever since then. I don't know what I would have done without Rose the past few years; she has helped me in more ways than I can mention, but I need to stand on my own two feet now. I need a fresh start, not just for me, but also for my daughter.

"You can always come with us Rose." I offer.

"God, I want too Bella, but I can't just get up and leave right now. I have my job, my family, and Royce to think about."

I can see the sadness in her eyes. I know she would not leave the life she's created for herself here in Phoenix. Rose had spent the last four years building Jacob's garage and car shop. I never thought that anybody could love that shop as much as Jake, but Rose proved me wrong. She knows what the garage had meant to me, so I was more than happy to give it to her when she asked if she could be the one to buy it. I knew that she would take care of it and make it into the business that Jacob wanted, and she has.

It makes me feel as though Jake is still alive when I see that garage. When I drive past it, or go in now and again I swear that I can still feel him there. I expected to see his big, muscled legs dangling from underneath a car, or hear him singing softly along with the radio. He's never there anymore, at least not physically, but the comfort of his presence is still around-whether it be in the colour of the walls, or the tools that still lay in their boxes. Jake's spirit still lives in that garage, just like his soul lives in our daughter.

"Well you can visit anytime you want, and we will come and see you every chance we get," I reply.

"You'd better, Bella," she scolds, pointing her finger at me.

"I'm going to miss you so much sweetheart. Who am I going to play with now?" she whispers to my daughter.

I watched Leah turn around and hug Rose tightly. It's really breaking my heart knowing that I am separating them, but I have to do it. I have to move home for the sake of my daughter. I have to take her away from all of the bad memories that have been created here. I hoped with all my heart that I'm doing the right thing. I've prayed that by moving closer to my father, and Emmett, that Leah will be able to heal.

It has been 6 months, 6 long months since I last heard my daughter's voice. I have not heard a single word, or giggle, or any noise escape her beautiful mouth. I am constantly worried that if I don't do something soon, I will never hear her voice again.

Before Leah's voice disappeared, she was an advanced speaker for her age. I loved spending time listening to her talk about her day, the things she loved and the things she hated. We would have conversations that lasted for hours, which is rare for a little girl her age. She was also an avid reader, she read far above her age level too. She still reads a lot, only never aloud anymore. She keeps all of her stories to herself - both real life and fantasy - and I'm petrified that the way she is keeping everything bottled up will make me lose her forever.

Now, Leah does everything in silence; I have grown accustomed to her facial expressions and body language. I am now also an expert in lip reading- it's the only way that I can understand what she wants to say. It's the only way that I can keep the communication line open with my daughter.

Leah has always loved going to Forks; she has all her family there, and I believed that family is what she needs the most right now. She needed the love and encouragement from the people who loved her the most. She needed people to help her put away all the pain that she has bottled up inside of her. I just wished that she could put everything she has witnessed behind her, and begin to heal. I knew that by staying here, she will not get any better. Somewhere she feels safe; somewhere that she can feel comfortable again is what she needed, in order to blossom into the amazing little girl, I know, she is.

"Bella, do you want to go out for lunch before you leave?" Rose asked.

"Sure, I'll let you decide where." I responded.

"Where do you want to go sweetheart?" She turns towards Leah.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice that Rose had braided Leah's thick, mahogany hair into a French plait. It's something I can't do to her hair, so I'm happy that Rose did it before we left; I didn't want her hair in her face on the plane.

Leah turned to face Rose and mouthed something to her. I can only see her back, so I didn't know what she wanted.

"Alright then, let's get ready and go," Rose instructed, moving her silky blonde hair over her shoulder and straightening her shoulders. She had a determined look in her eyes, and I knew that this is Rose with her wall built. She wrapped her arm around herself, to prevent herself from falling apart. I know this wall, I already had mine up and sealed.

"Where are we going then honey?" I asked.

I saw Leah mouth the word 'pizza' to me, with a sad smile. True, happy smiles do not exist anymore for her, and it broke my heart to see the pain in her eyes everyday; it makes me feel so helpless. I just wished that I knew how to take all of the pain away from her. I've tried everything: taking her to therapy, moving in with Rose, attempting to talk to her about what happened, trying to make her feel safe.

Moving to Forks was my last option.

I wanted to create new memories and a new life for her; I wanted my baby girl back.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by my cell phone ringing. I smiled at Leah and grabbed my phone.

"Hello handsome," I purr. Leah quickly jumped onto my lap and listened to the man she knew was on the phone.

"Hey, sweet cheeks, you ready to come home to me?" His voice was deep and soft, but also filled with amusement.

I can't help but to laugh. "Home to you, eh? Yeah, we're all packed and ready, Em."

"Great, I can't wait. I have found the perfect house for my girls. It's right next to my co-worker's house, so you'll have a cop next door if you need him. He's great, Bells, he has the cutest little boy ever, so Leah will have someone to play with. Plus, I'm only ten minutes down the road, just in case. God, Bella, you just can't believe how excited I am," he babbles. I'm about to comment on how I don't believe he took one breath while saying all of that when he starts again.

"Oh, we can take Leah to La Push beach, or go to the zoo. We can even take Ants with us, he loves the zoo and …"

"Emmett, will you stop!" I shout.

He finally stopped talking and I am surrounded by silence. I can see Leah holding her hand over her mouth silently giggling, which then made me giggle.

"First, tell me about the house, where is it exactly?"

Emmett continued to explain about the new house that he had arranged for me and Leah to move into. We needed somewhere that was ready to move into straight away or that was close to being ready. I didn't want to stay with my father for too long, and I wanted to get Leah settled into her new home before she goes back to school in a few weeks. I also wanted to be settled before I started my new job.

I finally managed to hang up the phone as we made our way into the restaurant. I spent my day with Rose and Leah, bonding over pizza and coke. It was the perfect last day in Phoenix; we even managed to take Leah to her favourite park before we had to leave.

A few hours later, the tears poured from my eyes as I say goodbye to my best friend, and the town that I had called home for all of these years. This is the place where my boyfriend was murdered, the place where I gave birth to my baby girl, the place that held some of the best moments of life; but it is also the place that stole Jake from Leah and me, breaking me both physically and emotionally. I am going to miss Phoenix, but I am excited to go home, to my real home.

Once we landed in Seattle, I carried a very tired and grumpy five year old off of the plane and around the airport. I collected the luggage that I had brought with me – the rest was being sent over in the next couple of days – and dragged them behind me.

I looked around for Emmett, but I couldn't see him. I looked at Leah and noticed that she was now sleeping soundly. Her hair looked darker and it was draped over her face, covering her like a blanket. Her hair is the same as mine-thick and glossy, yet still naturally straight like her father's. I pulled her closer to me, the aroma of strawberries filling my nostrils, something else she inherited from me: we both love and use the same shampoo. She looks so much like Jake when she sleeps. I miss him every day and I wished that he were here to see how beautiful our daughter is. He would have been able to protect her like I couldn't. I failed him. I failed her.

"Bella! Bella!" I turned my head to follow Emmett's booming voice.

"Beellllaaa," he continued to yell just as his dark curly hair and dimples, at each end of a wide toothy smile, came into my view. I felt a smile appear on my face as I rushed over to my childhood friend.

"So happy you're here, Bells." He pulled me into hug, and kissed both mine and Leah's heads. I could see the love and happiness in his eyes as he stared at me.

"Me too, Em."

"Let me grab those." He went to grab my suitcase, but Leah attached to my hip was heavier than the luggage.

"Em, do you think you can carry Leah instead, she's getting really big," I asked.

"Sure, guess she takes after her dad eh?" His deep laugh rumbled through the airport.

Emmett is not only my best friend, but he was Jake's too. I met Emmett on my first day at Forks Elementary school. He ran up to me, gave me a cupcake, and asked if I wanted to sit next to him. He soon became my best friend, and we would hang out every day.

Jake was a couple of years younger than us, but he would still come up with his dad and hang out with us. For the next ten years we were inseparable.

When things changed between Jake and me, I was worried that it would affect our friendship with Emmett, but he was happy and supportive of our relationship. He never took anyone's side when we had an argument.

"I'm Switzerland," he would say.

He never interfered with anything in regards to our relationship, just when it was involved with the friendship that the three of us shared.

When Jake died, Emmett was my rock. He stayed with me for the first couple of months, he took care of all the arrangements, he even took the place of Jake when Leah was born-staying with me the whole time whispering how proud he was and how much he loved us. Emmett understood me better than anyone else; he understood what I had lost with Jake, he did lose his best friend too. I'm a stronger person because of him.

I just nodded my head in reply at him, and sighed happily with my shoulder now free again. We made our way out of the airport, pushing through the throngs of people, and made our way towards Emmett's car.

"The police cruiser?" I questioned him, raising an eyebrow.

"What? I am a police officer, Bells."

I just rolled my eyes at him and put the luggage in to the boot while Emmett secured Leah into the car seat. I climbed into the passenger's seat, put my seat belt on, and rolled down the window to inhale the damp, moist smell of Forks. My whole body finally relaxed; I am home.

"Hey Em, do you think you can show me the house so I can take a look around?" I asked.

I really wanted to see where we will be living and what the house looked like.

"Sure," he replied.

We fell into a comfortable silence all the way to Forks. The rain was lightly patting the roof of the car. It was amazing how the rain brought me comfort, especially since I have spent the last few years in a city where the sun was like a second arm to me. I thought about all the things I needed to do over the next few days. My dad enrolled Leah in the local school, so that was one less thing to tick off my list. But I needed to meet with Miss. Cullen, the principal of Forks High School; I had to see what my studio was like and what I needed for my classes when they began. I also needed to go shopping; Leah needed clothes that are suitable for the weather here. Most of the clothes she owned were summer clothes, so I'll give them to the local charity although I knew that they would be useless with Fork's weather. Leah also had her first therapy session next week, but I wanted to talk to Ms. Stanley before she met Leah. Rose suggested that maybe I should see a therapist as well, that way I could possibly understand what she has been going through, and how to help her emotionally without hurting myself in the process.

"Honey, you're home."

I looked at the house Emmett just stopped in front of; it's big, really big. It had a long path in the middle of the garden that lead to the front door. The garden was beautiful, decorated with a few small bushes following the path. There were even a few tiny trees in front of the house, as well as large bushes around one side of the house that blocked out the house next door. I couldn't describe the beauty of the outside of this house; I never believed in a million years that I could live somewhere like this.

Emmett must have noticed my excitement as he opened the door – with a huge grin on his face – and shook the keys at me.

"You coming in?" he asked. I looked behind the seat and notice that Leah was sitting in her car seat, her small hands on the window, and her face squished against the glass. I could only see the back of her head.

"Leah, do you want to go in and see our new home?"

She nodded her head and I noticed that she was running her tongue up and down the window. I wanted to tell her to stop, as I watched in disgust as Emmett moved to the window and started running his tongue on the outside of the window, copying what Leah was doing.

I finally got too grossed out and got out of the car, and walked around to where Emmett was still bent at the window.

"You two are gross." I stole the keys from his giant hands and made my way to the front door.

When I walked into the hall, I stopped. The hall was wide, light, and very bright. The walls were painted in a creamy beige colour that blended with the light oak pine doors. There were two doors in front of me, and when I turned around there was one extra door in the far corner and a set of stairs next to the door. Wow was the word that echoed in my mind.

"Are you going to look around or just stand there with your mouth open?" Emmett appeared with Leah wriggling in his arms.

"Wow, Emmett it looks amazing! I don't remember this house being here before."

"They knocked down the old houses here a couple of years ago and built new ones." He put Leah down and she ran straight through the door in front. I followed her while I still listened to Emmett. "Most people who live here don't want to leave the houses they already have and the rest just can't afford it, so it was easy to buy."

I walked through the living room which was big and cozy, but not as big as I thought it would be, the walls were the same colour as the hall and I could envision the stuff that I had in this room. My eyes zoomed in to two sets of bookcases that were built between the main window and the fireplace. This house was perfect for us. I never imagined it to be anything like this.

"This is a new house." I still couldn't believe it, there was no way that I could own a brand new house.

"Yep, like I said, it was easy. I managed to get it for less then what you gave me, so you have plenty of money left over to decorate it and make it the best home ever for Leah and yourself." I just nodded, as I tried to take all the information in.

He left and took Leah outside, talking about where he wanted to put the princess castle he was buying for her. I continued walking through the rooms in the house, and decided not to even attempt to stop Emmett from buying her that castle because he'd just do it anyway.

The kitchen was breathtaking, it was long, and split into two areas; one area was a dining area at the far end of the room, and the other was a main kitchen at the top end. I fell in love with it straight away, with the dark cherry oak cupboards and marble counters. There was even a little island in the middle of the room, so that I could still watch the dining area while I cooked.

I moved from room to room and imaged us living in this house. I had a good feeling about this house and believed, once again, that I was making the right decision. Once I made it back to the living room, I noticed Emmett measuring the blank wall across from the fireplace.

"What are you doing" I asked him.

"Measuring for your TV Bella, every house needs a wide screen honey, Leah will love it."

"You mean you want a wide screen so you can watch sports whenever you're here." I giggled, knowing how his mind worked.

"Well, I will be here a lot Bells." I just nodded my head at him.

"How much was the house, Em?"

"Sixty percent less than what you gave me."

"Sixty percent? Emmett how did you manage that?" I asked, but he continued measuring my wall, ignoring my question. I knew there was something he was keeping from me, but I keep quiet and decided to ask again later.

I now wanted to go and see the back garden knowing that was where Leah was.

The rain had stopped, but it was still dark and cloudy outside. The air was fresh with a chilly wind blowing around. I stopped at the door and looked around the garden. I found myself really excited about my future and our new lives here. I felt like I had something to look forward to because something major was going to happen soon. I didn't know what that was, but I knew that it was something that would change my life forever.

I looked at Leah sitting on the grass. She was looking through the small wooden fence, nodding her head at something. I walked closer to her and spotted a little boy on the opposite side of the fence. He was also sitting on the grass with his feet tucked under his legs, mirroring Leah's position.

"Hey, who's your new friend pumpkin?" I asked Leah as I looked at the little boy. He was the cutest little boy I had ever seen; with his unique copper hair sticking up on his head. When he looked up, I found the biggest green sparking eyes staring back at me.

"Hello." I smiled at him, as I watched his eyes dance with excitement.

"Hi, I'm Anthony." He replied in a sweet polite voice. He stood up, wiped his hands on his dark jeans and offered his small hand to me.

"Hi, Anthony, I'm Bella." I was in awe at the manners that he had; I shook his hand through the gap in the fence.

"Are you Leah's mommy?" he asked.

"Yes I am. Do you live here?"

I looked at Leah and she was smiling at me, and for the first time in six months I saw her eyes as they sparkled with excitement. I looked back at the little boy and his eyes matched my daughter's.

"Yep, I have a pirate's ship, look!" He pointed to wooden ship that was in his garden.

"Can Leah play in it with me?" He smiled a wide crooked smile at me and my heart melted. I wanted to grab him, take him with us, and pass him off as one of my own. Instead, I smiled at him and looked again at my daughter. She stood up beside me and started jumping up and down nodding her head, telling me she wanted to play with the boy. I noticed that her trousers are wet from sitting on the grass and I was thankful that I had a spare pair in the car. Anthony started copying Leah and soon they were both jumping up and down, with their hands in the air doing a fancy little dance. I giggled at them; they were just too cute for words.

I was just about to answer Anthony's question when a female voice called him. He suddenly stopped jumping the same time as Leah and started running towards the door leading into his house, but stopped half way.

"Nice to meet you Bella," He smiled, my new favourite smile. "See you tomorrow, Leah." He gave us a wave and ran inside the house next door.

I sighed and stared at the now empty garden. "Let's go to Grandpa's now honey, are you hungry?" I asked. Leah just nodded and ran to the back door.

I slowly followed her back through the house towards Emmett's car. My thoughts were filled with the copper haired little boy and the sparkle in his eyes. How the excitement in his eyes matched Leah's …

How did he know Leah's name? He's too young to read lips.

Then I remember that Emmett mentioned that he works with the neighbour next door. Maybe he had mentioned us to him. I will have to ask him later.

I buckled my seat belt while Emmett buckled Leah up, and looked back at my new house.

We were going to be okay. I made the right decision. I knew in my heart that not only was my daughter going to be happy here, but I would too. I couldn't stop the wide smile that appeared on my face.

"Ready, Bells?"

"Absolutely."

_**I love hearing what you think, please review, I answer them all.**_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Edward POV

I slowly pulled the cover over my head, pretending that I was asleep as I heard small thumps from across my hall. I had been awake for about an hour thinking about my life and how horrible the fucking date I had last night was.

My father had set me up with one of the nurses from his work who had shamelessly flirted with me while I was visiting my father last week. I had only agreed to go out with her hoping that it would stop my parents from harassing me about my love life, or lack of.

My mother would find a way every day to tell me that I should find myself a nice girl to love. I was thankful that she never once said that I should find Anthony a mother, only someone that loved us and wanted to be part of our lives. In the past five years I have never met one woman that I could trust with my son, or who would love him the way he deserves.

My date last night just proved how right I was; no woman could fit into our lives and truthfully, I didn't want them to.

I had picked Lauren up at her apartment and planned to take her to one of my favourite Italian restaurants. I always took my son there every Sunday night, the atmosphere was very chilled and laid back, the food was amazing, and the staff relentlessly treated my son as if he was one of their own. I thought it would be nice to take her somewhere that had some meaning to me; however, Lauren had other ideas. After vocalizing her strong dislike for Italian, she suggested the most expensive restaurant in Port Angeles.

Apparently Forks wasn't even good enough for her, so we had to drive an hour just to go somewhere she deemed 'acceptable'. Grudgingly I agreed, as I gripped the wheel with white knuckles, and kept my mouth shut. I then spent the next three hours bored out of my fucking mind listening as she talked about her ex-boyfriend that had been begging her to take him back, or how all her friends were training to be hairdressers, opening their own salon and they asked her to be their model.

If that wasn't bad enough, she continued the one-sided conversation by talking about how much she hated children. She commented that she would never have children as they would ruin her body. I didn't bother to mention I had a son because I knew they would never meet as long as I had a say in it.

Things only got worse from there when the subject of high school approached. I had already guessed that she knew of my wealth status and that was why she was here. So she wasn't surprised that I went to boarding school; however, when she mentioned that she attended Forks High School my interest was perked, well just a little. When I asked her if she had been in the same year as Emmett, she started to laugh and told me how he would follow some skank -as she called her- around; and how she had fucking made it her purpose at school to make that girl's life as difficult as possible.

I knew who the girl was that she was talking about, and I had never met Emmett's Bella, but he talked about her all the time and worked his ass off so he could go see her on holidays and weekends.

When Lauren rambled on about how she believed Bella was jealous and that Emmett had always just felt sorry for her, I gave up. I may not personally know Bella, but Emmett was my best friend and she was very important to him, so I made an excuse for us to leave, paid the bill, and rushed to my car.

I never attempted to talk to her on the drive back to Forks. As soon as she was out of my car I raced home, cursing the waste of time that bitch was when I could have been home with my son.

I don't know what my father was thinking; Lauren was everything I hated in a woman. She was rude, thoughtless, selfish, and a stereotypical bimbo with her bleached blonde hair and fake tan- definitely not my type.

I pulled out of my thoughts when I heard my bedroom door creak, and small footsteps tread their way around my bed.

"Daddy, Daddy, time to get up." I couldn't help the smile on my face when hearing my son's voice.

"Daddy, get up, it's Sunday, lazzyyy dayy."

I felt a small hand pull the cover from my face; I tried really hard to keep my face natural, not wanting him to know I was awake.

He roughly pushed my body back and forth, although I helped so he would think he was stronger than he actually was.

"Daddy," he said while giggling and poking at eyes. "Daddy, wake up. I'll get the tickle monster."

He continued to giggle while trying to pull my lids open, his small legs saddled at each side of my chest. I could feel his sweet breath, guessing that his face was inches from mine.

"Dadddy!" He groaned, dragging the name out.

He slapped both his hands on each of my cheeks, pushed his hands towards each other, and successfully squished my cheeks and lips together until I looked like a fish out of water. I waited until he was silent, then quickly grabbed his hips, and opened my eyes as wide as possible.

"Argh!" I yelled in a deep, baritone voice.

Anthony screamed and I could feel his body jump off of my chest and back on again from the fright of my attack.

"Daddy, you scared me," he said, giggling once again.

This is what I lived for, seeing my son happy, as I listened to his tiny giggles, it was the best thing I've ever heard and I made it my goal to hear those giggles every day.

He placed his small head on my shoulder and I kissed his head while I moved his legs so he lay on my torso.

"Sorry buddy, I thought you were the tickle monster." I chuckled which made his shoulder shake again.

"It's Sunday, Daddy. Can we put Sponge Bob on?" he mumbled into my neck. I pulled him into a tight hug.

"Sure."

I leaned over; his body squeezed tighter against mine, grabbed the remote, and turned the television on.

Anthony then turned himself around and settled in between my legs, pulling the covers over us.

We watched cartoons for the next couple of hours, I made us pancakes for breakfast and we ate those in bed. This was our routine every Sunday morning -it was my favourite day of the week. I would spend the whole day with Anthony, it would start with breakfast in bed and watching cartoons, then we would go to the local park and I would teach Anthony some baseball moves and have a picnic with the food I always packed. In the afternoon Anthony would pick where to go-it was either the zoo, swimming, or the cinema. We always finished the day at La Bella Italia - our favourite restaurant- for dinner.

A few hours later we were dressed and on our way to the park when I remembered that Emmett wasn't going to be at work for the next couple of days. He never told me why, but he's been smiling a wide-ass grin and walked with a spring in his step for a few weeks now. I thought maybe he was going to visit Bella, but he said he was staying in Forks. Whenever I asked him what was going on, he would wink and tell me that I would find out soon enough.

"Hey buddy, would it be okay if we went to see uncle Em tonight and go swimming tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yep," he replied.

I smiled at him; his green eyes stared into mine. All I could find was excitement and joy in them, which made my heart fill with happiness.

We spent the afternoon working on Anthony's pitching technique. He'd joined the little league baseball team a few weeks ago, and the coach said that with some training he could be in the running for starting pitcher soon. His age and size was against him; he was the youngest and smallest male on the team, but he was the most determined. I promised that I would help him as much as possible; my dad had even been roped into helping him while I'm at work so overall he has been training almost every day for the past two weeks.

I played baseball starting at the age of four, all the way to college. My mom lied about my age when I was younger so I could play for our local team. She told them I was five going on six when I was actually four going on five. They found out a few weeks later, but decided that I could stay since I was valuable to their team. It has always been my favourite sport.

I was ecstatic when Anthony started to show an interest in sports. When one of the guys at work mentioned that he was the coach of a little league baseball team and needed more players, I phoned Anthony right away and the whole office could hear his squeals of excitement.

We spent all day at the park, either practising some techniques or just hanging out at the play park. I watched while Anthony climbed the frames and played in the sand pit like every other five year old.

"Daddy, can we take some pasta home for uncle Em?" Anthony asked as we made our way to the restaurant.

"Sure, you can pick it out for him," I replied.

"Okay," Anthony said happily.

We arrived at the restaurant and were greeted by Heidi as soon as we made it through the door.

"Little Ant!" she yelled, moving from behind the host desk.

Anthony let go of my hand and ran straight into Heidi's arms to hug her tightly. We'd been coming here every week since I moved to Forks five years ago, Anthony was just six months old on our first visit and as soon as Heidi held him in her arms, I knew he had someone else who loved him.

My sister had mentioned the restaurant to me knowing my love for Italian food, one visit later and I was hooked to everything on their menu.

"You're getting more beautiful every time I see you Little Ant," She said while spinning in a circle.

"Table 2, Heidi?" I asked walking away from them.

"Always, Edward."

I walked to our usual table leaving Heidi spinning my son around, hearing them giggling, they would come over when they finished.

I learned that Heidi and her husband Felix had a daughter that was killed by a car when she was twelve years old, and they never had any other children; so they treated Anthony as if he was their own, and Anthony loved them just as much. They were an older couple, almost the same age as my parents, but they looked very young for their age, especially Heidi. She was tall, blonde, and still had a body of women twice her age, she was a beautiful woman and her husband treated her like a princess every day. I envied their marriage knowing that I would never have that with anyone.

My heart ached when I thought of what they've been through- I would die if anything happened to Anthony. He was my reason to live in this world, he may not have been planned but I would never change anything I had ever done to keep him.

"What would you like to drink Edward?" Heidi asked, finally arriving at my table. Anthony sat in the seat booster next to me, he smiled at Heidi.

"I'll have coke please," I answered.

"What about you, little Ant?" She turned to Anthony.

"May I have apple please?" He asked her sweetly, she smiled at him and left to get our drinks.

"What are you getting Uncle Em, buddy?"

He closed his eyes in deep concentration.

"Spag ball," he declared smiling.

"Is that what you want to eat too?" I asked him already knowing the answer. He just nodded his head.

Heidi arrived with our drinks and a colouring set for Anthony. We ordered our food and informed Heidi of the extra order for Emmett. I was colouring in one of Anthony's sheets when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket.

I pulled it from my jeans and my sister's name was flashing on the screen.

"Hi, Alice," I greeted.

"Oh my god, Edward I have just met my future husband," she squealed. Her voice was high pitched and squeaky, making me feel like I was ten years old again.

"That's great Ali, I'll make sure to add him to my Christmas card list." I rolled my eyes although she couldn't see.

"What?" she questioned.

"Just make sure to tell him that it's his turn to go to the father/son golf trip with dad this year and maybe next year as well, God if he could go every year that would be make me a very happy man." I could hear her huffing through the phone while I made fun of her.

"Edward, stop it. I'm serious," she scolded.

"No really, Ali I'll make sure to order Ant's tux tomorrow, he will be page boy? If your new husband is not going to let your nephew be your page boy, we will have to have some words," I continued to joke.

Anthony looked up, his face confused. I crossed my eyes, stuck my tongue out at him, and made him giggle. He joined in my game by pulling at his ears and puffing out his cheeks so he looked like a monkey. This time it was my turn to chuckle in amusement, proving how much he was my son through and through.

Our food arrived and I listened to my sister as she rambled on about a hot blonde man she'd met at the grocery store. There have been many phone calls from my sister over the last year claiming she has met the man of her dreams, but this was the first time where she mentioned going straight up to him and telling him that he's the one. I swear if she wasn't my sister I would send her straight to the nut house.

"Do you guys want any dessert?" Heidi asked and collected our plates.

"No thank you," Anthony politely answered, which made me smile in pride.

"Alright, I'll get your bill then," Heidi said smiling.

We paid the bill and made our way to Emmett's house. He only lives ten minutes away from our house so I didn't mind going there late at night. He also had a spare bedroom that Anthony used whenever he stayed over, so I never had to hurry home if he happened to fall asleep.

When I moved here five years ago I thought Emmett was a bit of a player and that he didn't take things seriously. I envied him, he was so carefree, he had no responsibility expect his job, and he lived his life one day at a time.

I was the opposite, I had a six month old baby boy to take care of, a new house to decorate and organize, and an ex-girlfriend who was still trying to weasel money from me.

When Chief Swan made us partners, I had a huge chip on my shoulder and a negative attitude towards everything and everyone. After spending two weeks with Emmett, that chip disappeared and I soon became excited to go work with him; he was fun and relaxing to be around. He took his job very seriously and I soon realized how wrong I was about him.

Emmett has had my back whenever I've needed him and has always been there for Anthony to. He's been my best friend for the last five years and an amazing uncle to my son.

I stood at Emmett's door with a smile on my face and my son happily attached to my hip. Emmett greeted me with a long smile -dimples at each end-, wide blue eyes, and a head full of curly brown hair.

"Eddie, what 'cha doing here, man? It's only Sunday." Emmett questioned.

"I wanted to talk to you about the training course next week, and since you won't be around much this week, I thought we'd come and see you tonight." I answered him in a matter of fact tone.

I sat down on his couch, putting my feet up on the coffee table. Emmett's living room was not too small but it wasn't huge either, it was bright and cosy like something out of a magazine. The walls were red with a huge plasma television attached to the main wall and every computer invented laid on the unit underneath it. I can't count the amount of time we've spent in front of that television either watching sports or playing computer games. But hey, we were men after all!

"Uncle Em, can I play the Wii?" Anthony asked, bouncing in front of the television.

"Sure sport," he replied.

"Daddy, do you want to play with me?" Anthony asked.

"Of course buddy," I said.

I watched his face light up, there was never a better feeling than watching the joy that I could put into my son's eyes, knowing that I could make him happy. His short bronze hair disappeared from my eyes as he went to pick the game he wanted to play.

"So Eddie, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Emmett said with a smile on his face.

"My what?" I said, voice rising in question.

"Knickers, you know panties." He laughed.

"So Em, what do you know about this training?" I asked.

"Not much, you worried about leaving mini me for the week?" He said, nodding his head in Anthony's direction.

"Yeah," I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, a habit I had picked up from my father whenever I was worried.

"Does it really last a whole week?" Emmett said.

Anthony finally found the game he wanted and started to load the game, I couldn't leave him for a whole week, we had never been apart for more than one day, two at the most.

"A week's too long to leave him, Em." I stressed.

"I know, but we don't have a choice man. I don't want to go either, but the chief would have our arse if we didn't go." He replied.

"Ready, Daddy." Anthony handed me one of the controllers and Emmett the other.

"I'll have to talk to him and my parents; maybe I could break it over two weeks. I don't know -I'll ask the Chief tomorrow." Emmett nodded his head in understanding. Chief Swan was a single father so I was hopeful that I could use that to my advantage and get him to cut my days down. Unfortunately, I also knew that this training was very important and it would not be easy to convince him, but it was worth a try.

We stayed and played the Wii for a while and I didn't realized how late it was until I noticed that Anthony was sitting on my lap and his head was falling over.

I picked him up, laying his head on my shoulder so he could sleep and made my way to the kitchen.

"We better go Em, Ant's falling asleep," I whispered, pointing towards the sleeping figure.

I felt his small arms tighten around my neck and his fingers tugging at my hair. It was a habit he'd been doing for years whenever he was sleepy; he would play with the ends of the hair at the bottom of my neck. I found it oddly comforting, I've had girls tug at my hair before and I'd never enjoyed it, but my son's touch was different, it was softer and gentle, maybe even loving.

"Sure man," said Emmett.

I grabbed our coats and headed to the front door, Emmett followed us.

"Hey Edward, who's Anthony's teacher?" he asked me.

"Mrs. Cope, why?" I replied while I wrapped my coat around Anthony's body, I didn't know how cold it was outside and I wasn't taking any chances.

"That's brilliant." His eyes sparked with excitement.

"All right Em. What the fuck is going on with you, you've been walking around like you've won the fucking lottery or something," I whispered, trying not to wake my son.

Emmett laughed very loud. "You'll see very soon, I promise."

I sighed and nodded, getting annoyed with his lack of information.

Saying a quick goodnight, I made my way home.

XXX

I pulled into the drive of my house, turned off the engine and looked up at my house. I was so happy to be home, work had been slow today without Emmett. I had one of the other officers, Mike Newton, in place of Emmett. He was generally a good guy, but boring as hell. He talked about his girlfriend Jessica, and how he could do so much better than her. I chose to ignore him most of the day and counted the minutes until I finished my shift. I couldn't believe it's only Monday! Emmett's not due back to work until Thursday, which means I'll be stuck with Mike for the next two days.

I thought again of what Emmett may be doing today and why he still wouldn't tell me what was going on last night when I asked. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and opened the door of my Volvo.

The light on the porch was bright, but I couldn't hear any noise coming from the house.

I smiled to myself, feeling my body relax. I was home and had the next few hours to spend with my son.

The smell of something amazing flowed into my nose as soon as I opened the front door. Ah, Mom was cooking for us tonight.

"Mom, Ant!" I yelled as I walked into the living room.

"Hey honey, did you have good day at work?" Mom greeted me.

"It was alright-" I sighed and kissed her cheek "-it was boring without Emmett around though."

"Daddy!" Anthony yelled as he ran along our hall and straight into my arms. I hugged him tightly in return, and saw my mother smiling at us from where she stood.

"I cooked pasta for dinner, your father's at work so I thought I could stay with my boys for a bit longer if that's okay?" She asked.

I have no idea why she always asked if she could stay, as if I would say no to my mom's home-made meals. My mom was an amazing cook; our family would never have any produced foods if my mom could help it. She believed that food wasn't good if you didn't make it yourself. She had taught me the basics growing up and I could cook some great dishes, but no one could cook as good as my mom.

"Of course Mom, sounds great. Doesn't it buddy?" I said.

"Yep, Nana," Anthony said.

Mom's smile grew wider, making her face glow. She was a beautiful women, her caramel bronze hair was pulled into a small bun, her green eyes filled with joy and love. I gave her my crooked smile and moved to the kitchen with Anthony's legs still around my hips and his arms around my neck. He was humming a tune in contentment- making my heart swell with pride.

I was going to miss carrying him this way, he's already too old to be carried around, but he's small for his age so I could still get away with it right now. Soon he will be too big and another part of his baby life will have disappeared while he grows into a little man. He's growing up too fast for my liking.

"Were you good for Nana today?" I asked him. He stared at my face, looking so much like myself. The only thing that he had inherited from his mother was her little button nose. I was grateful, every day, that Anthony was a mini-me, and nothing like his mother, I just prayed it stayed that way.

I placed Anthony on the floor and he climbed up on the chair to sit at the kitchen table. I decided to join him while we watched my mother make dinner.

"Daddy, I made a new friend today," He announced, beaming.

I smiled. "Really? That's great buddy."

"She was next door, in the yard, and her mommy's really pretty, Daddy." He bounced on his chair while he told me his story. I had to laugh at how he commented on the little girl's mother being pretty and not the little girl. My son already liked older woman, well that's just great!

"Leah is so much fun, I wanted her to come and play on my ship, but she had to go with her mommy." His face fell and disappointment filled his features.

"Well maybe she's moving in next door and you'll be able to play with her another day," I said, trying to take away his sadness. It must have worked as his eyes quickly lit up and the smile reappeared on his face.

"She is, Daddy! She's going to live next door with her mommy, but she said tonight she's staying at her pops. When she comes home though we can play together all the time in my ship, maybe we can play in the tree house at Nana's, and we could go to the zoo, Daddy please, can we go to the…"

I chuckled. "Ant, take a breath and slow down."

His small hands moved all through the air making him appear older than his age. I listened to him talk some more about his new friend. I know I needed to tell him that I was going away next week, but I was unsure how he would handle being away from me. We had never been apart for that long, and I was worried, not only about how my son would feel being away from me, but how I am going to handle being away from him. He was the reason I lived for, my every thought contained my son. I still had six days until I had to leave, I'd tell him tomorrow I decided; one more day wouldn't hurt.

My mom left after dinner, leaving me to bath and put Anthony to bed. It'd been a long day and I was thankful that I didn't have to work tomorrow.

I showered and went to bed, my thoughts went to Anthony's mother and how I could get her completely out of my life. I still didn't have an answer hours later when sleep had finally taken over my body.

Images of a broken little boy filled my dreams throughout the night.

**Please, please Review. More reviews mean quicker updates. **


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bella

I deeply inhaled the fresh, humid air. The smell of misty damp grass filled my senses. I watched the sun rise across the sky, bouncing off the dark shadows of the trees and houses in the street.

I forgot how much I loved the feeling of sharp, crispy air, covering my skin like a blanket.

I smiled to myself; I was used to waking up to the sun shining, the heat burning my skin each morning. I forgot how different it was here. There were dry lands everywhere in Phoenix; red dusty deserts covered the grounds. While here in Forks, there was nothing but green grass and grey skies. There were thousands of trees and woodland creatures, who would even make homes in your back garden. The whole place screamed nature. It was beautiful, it was my home.

"Morning, Bells," my father greeted me.

"Morning, dad," I answered and leaned against the side of the porch.

"Does Mr Brown still visit you?" I asked, watching the town wake up.

Mr Brown was a squirrel that lived in the forest behind my dad's house for years. He was a little baby when he first turned up. My dad would leave some nuts in the garden for him every day, and I would wake up every morning to see his fuzzy tail on our porch. I named him Mr. Brown because of the colour of his fur, when I was fifteen.

My father chuckled and joined me on the porch.

"He stopped visiting a few years ago, Bells," He answered, sadly.

The air grew very cold, so I wrapped my arms around my waist and headed back inside. I was definitely going shopping for warmer clothes today; vest and shorts were not going to work in Forks.

"What are your plans for today?" He asked, following me to the kitchen.

"Where do I start?" I sighed. I made a quick list in my head of all the things I needed to do. My father chuckled, his moustache twitching in amusement.

My father, Charlie Swan, had lived in Forks his whole life. He met my mom in high school and married her the day after graduation. My grandfather had bought them this house as a wedding present, and I was born a year later. Charlie had said it was the best day of his life. I didn't really understand what he meant, at the time, until Leah was born. The day Leah was born was amazing, but it was overshadowed by the death of her father.

After Jake died, I gained a new level of respect and understanding of what my father had gone through, raising me on his own.

"I have to go shopping for warmer clothes, my furniture is getting delivered this afternoon, and I wanted to go into work and see what the studio is like." I rumbled in contentment.

"What time do you have work?" I asked him.

"In an hour, but I'm only working until two. I was thinking that maybe I could take Leah to see Billy. He's been really excited that you've returned home." His voice asked quietly.

I was uncomfortable going down to La Push; it was Jacob's hometown. Everything reminded me of him, and I was not ready to deal with that yet. I had spent all my childhood in La Push with Emmett and Jake, riding our bikes along the beach or jumping off the cliffs. It was too hard to go there right now. I knew I will have to go down eventually, as there are so many places I want to take Leah; to tell her stories about her father, and what he like growing up. But right now, I needed to get our new house turned into a home, and get Leah settled in school.

"That would be great dad; Leah would love to see Billy. You can pick her up from the house and check out my new place." My voice hitched with excitement. I had fallen in love with our house already and couldn't wait to get settled into it. I quickly started putting breakfast together when I heard my dad clear his throat.

"Ah, Bells, I have already seen the house," Charlie announced.

"When?" I asked. "I only got the house yesterday, how could you have seen it?"

"Emmett showed it to me just before he bought it. He wanted my option on it." He answered in a matter of a fact tone.

I just nodded my head; I should have guessed that Emmett would have dragged my father into house hunting with him. Charlie and Emmett have always had a close relationship. Emmett and Jacob were like sons to my dad, and it broke his heart when Jacob died. I know he felt horrible when he couldn't get a lot of time off and come to Phoenix to help arrange the funeral; instead he gave Emmett six weeks paid leave and made him promise that he would take care of me and Leah until I could handle everything myself. I lost count of the number of arguments we have had over the years about me moving back home. He was also worried about me trying to raise a baby by myself and still finish college. Even when he met Rose he still wanted me to come home. When Leah was in danger I thought he was going to drag us back home with his bare hands, but he surprised me and told me to do what I felt was right. I knew he wanted us back in Forks, and his excitement last night was enough to show how happy he was to have us home.

I watched as he took a seat at the table and opened the paper right to the sports section, typical guy.

Emmett had mentioned that his partner was my new neighbour, so I knew that my father would know him. With the size of this town I'm sure he has met Anthony before, and I wonder if he had mentioned Leah around him.

I mixed the ingredients together to make pancakes.

"Dad?" I asked and poured the mixture in to a pan.

"Mmm," he grunted.

"Emmett mentioned that his partner is my new neighbour." I commented.

"Oh yeah, Edward, he's a good kid." He mumbled.

"Have you met his son?" I asked flipping the pancake over.

"Anthony, yeah, cute kid. Very polite and well behaved little boy. Well, except when he's around Emmett, but I think that's more Emmett than Anthony." He chuckled. It would be good if he made friends with Leah, the kid doesn't have many friends and neither does Leah.

I put the pancakes and some juice on the table.

"Yeah, well Leah was really taken with him yesterday." I answered.

Charlie looked up at me from the paper, his hazel eyes shining with hope. I was just about to mention about Anthony knowing Leah's name when I heard little thumps on the stairs.

We spent the rest of breakfast in mostly silence. I never mentioned Anthony again. Emmett arrived just as I was finishing the dishes informing me that he was spending the day with us getting settled in our new house.

I decided to go shopping first, before we froze to death. I was not a big fan of shopping, especially when Rosalie would drag me into every shop in the mall, buying every dress, pair of shoes, and coats she could see. I was more of a jeans and t shirt kind of girl, but Leah was a girlie girl and loved nothing more than pink dresses and cute tops; I don't know where she gets it from as none on my side are very girlie and neither were Jake's. I was going to have to buy a lot of warm tights for her to wear with her dresses here in forks.

We pulled into the shopping mall that I used to work in as a teenager. God, I hated this place. I worked there on the weekends to get money to pay for college, and everyone from school would hang out there spending all their parents' money. I was thankful those days were behind me.

I looked back at Leah sitting in her car seat; her face was almost blank as she stared out of the window, a small smile on her face. My heart swelled with happiness with that smile she gave me. She has smiled more over the last day than she has for the last six months. I couldn't help but smile along with her.

"Hey, Leah?" I asked.

She turned her head making her thick hair sway around her face, the sparkle that was there yesterday at our house was gone, but I hoped that it would return soon. The fact that it appeared at all gave me more hope than ever that my little girl would get better, and that she would find peace here in forks

"Do you want to go and get lots of new clothes for your wardrobe in our new house?" I asked. I could see Emmett silently watching Leah's reaction through the rear view mirror.

She nodded her head and the smile grew just a little wider, most people would never have noticed, but I noticed every little move she made now, it was all I had.

"Let's go then." I announced.

I got out of the car quickly and moved to open the passenger's door for Leah.

Emmett stood at the driver's side of the door and looked at me raising a dark furry eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"Since when did you get excited about shopping?" He chuckled and added, "Well unless it's in a bookstore."

"Did you notice that smile on my daughter's face?" And just like that, Emmett understood my enthusiasm.

I opened the door for Leah to jump out and we made our way over to the mall. Leah was in the middle holding tightly to both our hands.

We had been shopping for almost an hour; Leah walked slowly around the shop with her hand in either mine or Emmett's. She pointed out to almost every item she could see. We managed to get her: four pairs of boots, a couple pairs of small scandals, some flat ballerina pumps, four dresses, two pairs of trouser, five pairs of jeans, about ten cute tops, t-shirts, as well as cardigans, underwear, tights, and rain coat. We would get a winter coat later on.

"Okay ladies, I'm going to run to the car with all this stuff, before my arms fall off." He pushed the bags in front of our faces to emphasize his point; there were a lot of bags that he carried for us, I didn't noticed how much I had bought.

I giggled as I watched him walk out of the store with lots of pink and purple girlie bags attached to his ever growing muscles. I swear he could give Arnold Schwarzenegger a run for his money.

I was very grateful that Emmett had managed to get the house as cheap as he did. I was almost broke and I hadn't even bought myself anything yet.

I grabbed Leah's hand a little tighter and walked into a store that I had never seen before. It was bright and colourful with clothes all in organized groups of colour. I looked at the wall; "Beauté" was the name of the store. It was written across the wall in huge deep purple blocked letters. The store was beautiful and the title fit the style of clothes in it. My first thoughts were to leave, not only was I sure that the prices would be out of my price range but, the clothes would never fit a women like me. I was plain and plain wore plain everyday clothes; there was nothing special about me or the things I wore. I was your plain boring girl next door, and these clothes were made for women who were tall and beautiful. I was neither of these things.

"Hello, can I help you?" A voice that sounded like bells asked me. I turned to the women that the voice belonged too, a small gasp escaped my mouth.

"Ah," I tried to tell her that none of these clothes would fit me, but my voice wouldn't work and instead I stood there staring at the gorgeous women in front of me. She belonged in a store like this; her short spiked black hair framed her beautiful face, with deep blue eyes and a pixie like appearance. I felt plainer than I already did.

"I'm Alice. Welcome to Beauté."

"I'm Bella." I croaked out.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." She looked down at Leah, a wide smiled appeared on her face.

"This is my daughter, Leah." I answered her unspoken question.

She bent down and whispered softly, "You are the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen."

Leah just cocked her head to side and looked at her.

Alice just giggled and stood up. She looked at me intensely; I felt my body grow more uncomfortable, so I moved my foot from side to side getting ready to run.

"I have the prefect outfit for you, just wait here and I'll go get it?" She suddenly burst out. I didn't get a chance to reply before her little body danced away into the back of the store.

I started gently looking at some of the clothes on the hangers, checking the price tags, conforming that I was right about the price, when I heard my name shouted within store.

"Bella," A deep rusty voice called.

I turned around to face a very tall, slender male standing in front of me. His skin glowed a tanned colour, and he had dark short hair and deep brown eyes.

I was instantly reminded of Jake.

"On my god, Bella, how are you?" he asked.

He must have seen the confusion on my face as he laughed at me, and then said two words that I had long forgotten.

"Belly Bella," He chuckled. "Man, I had such a crush on you growing up."

There was only one person that ever called me that growing up, and I felt my heart warm at my childhood friend, as well as my face.

"Seth?" I blushed.

"Yep, that's me. I heard you were moving back home. How are things?"

"Good, just got home and we're getting some warmer clothes now that we don't have the sun every day." I mumbled into his chest as he pulled me into a hug.

I felt Leah's hand tighten around mine. I looked down at her and saw the fear in her eyes. Seth must have followed my eyes.

"This little cutie must be Leah?" he asked. I was just about to introduce him, when he crouched down on his knees in front of her.

"Yeah, this is Leah, but Seth she really…" Seth ignored me and spoke in calm deep voice.

"Hello sweetheart, I'm Seth, a friend of your mom and dad's" he raised his hand to move her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.

"Seth, please, don't..."

It was like I was watching a movie where everything happened in slow motion, and you know that the main character will never stop what was about to happen in time. I could see what was happening and I knew how Leah was going to react, but I was to slow to stop him, and the next thing I heard was the loud piercing scream that escaped my daughter's mouth.

Seth jump backwards so fast that he lost his balance and fell onto the floor, his mouth hung in an O-shape, and his eyes went wide with shock.

I quickly kneeled down in front of Leah, put my hands on her face, and forced her to look at me.

"Leah, Leah, look at me. Its mom, honey, look at me." I kept whispering words to her, repeating them over and over.

Her eyes were far away, she was lost in her own mind, trapped in her memories. I knew that she could not see me. She could only see him right now; she was trapped with him, scared and alone. Tears were pouring down her small face and my heart broke at the pain my daughter was in.

"Leah, please, it's me, your safe honey, please listen to me." I begged.

By now the whole store was staring at us, watching in disgust as my daughter continued to stand and scream for her life.

I tried to ignore them, but I could hear them whispering in the background.

"Leah, please, come back to me honey."

"Bella?" Alice's soft voice echoed in my ear. I looked at her, expecting to see disgust and pity in her eyes. But they were only full of concern and worry.

"Bella, is she okay? Do you want to take her into the back?"

I didn't answer her; I just nodded my head and continued to talk to Leah. Leah's body was shaking with fear, I needed to get her out of here, but I knew that I could not move her until she could hear me.

"Bella, Bella" I heard Emmett shouting as his body pushed through the growing crowd.

"What happened? Is she okay?" His chest was heavy and his breaths came out in pants. He must have run across the store when he heard Leah's screams.

"Leah, honey, you're safe. Mom's here."

"Leah, I've got you baby. Uncle Em has got you, you're safe." His voice was strong and clear, but too loud.

I looked at Emmett and then back at Leah again, she slowly closed her eyes, and I felt a breath of air leave my mouth in relief. She was still lost in her mind, but she was slowly returning to us. She could hear us, which meant I could get her out of the store.

"Leah, its Mom. You're safe, honey." I tried a little louder and slowly placed my hand gently on her shoulder.

I watched as her little body kept shaking, but the screaming had stopped. She still had her eyes closed, and I hoped she didn't open them again until we got back in the car. The number of people staring at us would scare her even more.

"Leah, can you hear me, honey?"

She nodded her head slowly, tears still falling down her face while sobs broke out of her mouth.

"Bells, why don't you take her back to the car, and I'll deal with the situation here."

I slowly picked her up and she wrapped her arms and legs around me, resting her head into my neck, and squeezing me tightly. I turned around to Seth who was still on the floor.

"Sorry Seth," I whispered and quickly walked away pushing my way through the crowds.

"Shh, you're okay now." I whispered into her ear. I could hear Emmett yelling at the crowd in the background. I knew they had pissed him off, they pissed me off too, but there was not much I could do about them.

I made it back to the car and opened the passenger door in the back, placing Leah on my lap and started rocking her back and forth, while whispering how much I loved her into her ear. I listened while her sobs grew quieter, and soon I knew she had fallen asleep. So I moved her into her car seat and got out of the back seat just in time for Emmett to return.

"Hey honey, you okay?" His voice was soft and gentle. I didn't realise I had been crying until he was wiping the tears away with his thumb.

I looked up into his eyes and felt all my hope disappear.

I started to sob. My adrenaline gone and heart aching.

Emmett wrapped his long arms around me and pulled me to his chest.

"Shh, honey, she's safe. She's okay." He whispered.

"I I I knooow, buuttt she was getting bettttterrrr, Emmm." I stuttered through my tears.

"She will be honey, but she is still going to have bad days and from what Seth said, Leah got scared of him when he touched her."

"Oh God, Seth." I gasped. He must think I'm such a bad mother.

"It's alright, I explained a little to him." He kissed my head and signed, "Come on, let's go."

We got into the car and reminded quiet as we drove out of the car park.

"When is your appointment with Dr. Stanley?" He asked.

"Not until Monday."

Dr. Stanley was the new therapist that I was taking Leah to meet. She had agreed to also take me on as a joint patient, as well as separate patient.

My thoughts drifted into different scenarios of what could happen if Dr. Stanley couldn't help us. What if Leah doesn't get any better? What if she lives in fear for the rest of her life? She starts school soon, will she able to sit in a classroom without having a panic attack? What if her teacher is a male? How would she cope? I had visions of my broken daughter sitting in a corner shaken and crying in fear of her teacher. Maybe she was not ready yet, maybe I should let her start next year.

"Bells?" Emmett's voice brought me out of my mental breakdown.

"I think I should talk to Dr. Cullen. Maybe he could help?" His voice was low and thick with heavy emotion. I knew this was hurting him as well. He loved Leah more than anything, and I also knew how guilty he felt for not being able to help us when we needed it.

"I don't know what he would be able to do, Em."

"We could at least ask. You still have a week until you see Dr. Stanley, and I think you may need something to help you sleep." He sighed deeply. "I don't know, but I need to do something."

"Can we talk about this later please?" I needed to clear my head before I made any decisions.

"Sure," was all he replied.

We went to McDonald's to grab lunch before making our way to the house. Leah woke up groggy and withdrawn. She refused to eat and sat in her car seat staring at the roof of the car.

When we made it to the house, she got out of the car and walked slowly to the door.

I watched her drag her body through the hall into the living room. There was no life or emotion in her body; her eyes were empty, with a frown on her face. I tried to control my emotions and not show how much watching her like this was killing me. I had gotten my hopes up when we landed in forks yesterday, and now she had crawled back into the shell she had built around herself when we were back in Phoenix.

"Bells, delivery is here." Emmett shouted from outside.

"Just a minute."

"Leah, I'm gonna go and help uncle Em bring in our stuff, do you want to come?" I asked her. I gave her a few minutes, but she never looked at me, so I left her staring out of the window to go and help Emmett with the furniture.

It took us forever to unload the van and carry everything into the right rooms. I made sure to put Leah's stuff in her room first so that she could have her toys to play with while we finished moving everything.

"Hey, Bells?"

I looked up from the boxes I was unloading to see my dad standing at the kitchen door.

"Hey, Dad. You're here for Leah?" I asked already knowing the answer. "She's in her room."

My dad chuckled, "And what room is that?"

"Oh right," I ran a hand over my forehead to wipe the sweat that formed from all the unpacking.

"I'll get her." I walked out of the living room pulling my long hair into a high ponytail to keep out of my face.

"Leah, Granddad's here." I called stepping over the boxes that lay about.

"Leah, honey?"

I looked in her room, but found it empty. The boxes still where I had left them unopened. Maybe she was helping Emmett.

"Em?" I yelled walking out of one room into another.

"Yeah?"

"Leah with you?" I couldn't get into my room. Emmett was building some of the furniture with boxes piled everywhere.

"No, I thought she was in her room?" He yelled back.

I began checking all the rooms, moving bags and boxes everywhere calling out for her. Where could she have gone? The house was not that big.

"Did you get her?" My dad asked coming out of the spare room.

"No. I've checked all over the house." I could feel the panic in my heart.

"Have you checked the kitchen?" He asked.

"Outside, maybe she went to see if Anthony was out?" I ran through the hall, passed the living room, into the kitchen and out to the back garden as fast as I could.

"Leah, Leah!" I yelled.

She was not there.

I raced to the fence and looked over at Anthony's play ship, but there was no one there either.

"Is she there?" Emmett yelled out of the window.

I shook my head, as I couldn't find my voice. My little girl was gone.

Tears stared falling from my eyes as I searched around the garden for her.

"Okay, we'll find her. She's here somewhere." Emmett shut the window, and I assumed starting looking around the house.

I ran out into the front of the house hoping she was out there, but I could not see her anywhere.

"Leah. Leah." I yelled as loud as I could.

"!"


	5. Chapter 4

_**Hey guys, sorry I have not post anything, I've just started a new job and my beta has not sent me back this chapter, so I'm just going to post this one for you. Please please review. Outfits and banners are on my blog**_

Chapter 4

Edward

My hands moved across the keys playing a melody I've never heard before. I was thinking about my son and how his eyes would light up when he told me about Leah, the new girl next door. He talked for almost an hour last night of how this little girl was his new best friend and he wanted her to come with us when we go to the zoo next week. I can't remember the last time he got this engrossed about meeting about another kid. But she was all he talked about last night.

"_Come on squirt, bedtime," I pulled Anthony up from the living room floor into my arms and made my way to the bathroom. His giggles filled the house as he wriggled around in my arms. This was my favourite time of the day. I made sure that I bathed Anthony and read him his book before he went to sleep every night._

_"Daddy, do you think I could get to play with Leah tomorrow?" He asked as I started his bath._

"_I don't know buddy, we'll just have to wait until tomorrow and see what happens," I rationalized while taken his clothes off. He mumbles about how he can't wait and that how he was hoping it was sunny so they can play in his pirate's ship. _

_When he finally climbed into the bath he looked at me, his green eyes started to glaze over with water as tears filled them._

_"What's wrong Ant?" I asked "is the water too hot?" I had checked it before he went in but I put my hand in again just to make sure._

_I stared at his small round face. "Anthony, tell me what's wrong buddy?"_

_"Do you think Leah will like me? Do you think she will want to play with me and my pirate ship?" He asked. _

_I felt my heart ache for my son. He was worried that the new girl wouldn't like him. He had always been very confident and a sociable boy, he didn't have many friends but I think that had been because I never put in pre-school or anything. I never thought he would question if someone wanted to play with him, but then again I have never seen him so attached to someone he just meet._

_"I think she will love to play with you?" I smiled at him._

_"Really?"_

_"Really." I answered him back, he smiled my crooked smile at me and his insecurities faded as quickly as they appeared and the sparkle was back in his beautiful eyes. I hope that I still had that power on his self – esteem when he's older._

_"She so pretty daddy, you will really like her," I hummed in response and moved to wash his bronze baby hair. "She has brown eyes, not green like mine and yours."_

_"Brown huh?" I asked._

"_Yeah like the Chief's," he giggled._

_"Chief Swan? Daddy's bosses eyes?" I was surprised that he remembered that kind of detail. He had met my boss a few times over the years; I guess my son is more observant that I thought. _

"_Yeah and she's taller than me and she like spongebob daddy, I like spongebob."_

_"Sounds like you two will be great friends." I chuckled._

_I was going to have to go and meet my new neighbours tomorrow and see if I could set up a playdate with Leah, I was happy that my son has shown an interest in someone but I was a little worried that maybe Leah didn't share the same enthusiasm as Anthony. _

_"Yeah, her mommy is really pretty too daddy, maybe she can be your friend and Leah can be my sister, ohh I would be cool if she was my sister." I couldn't help my chuckle at his innocent ramble. The last thing I needed was for my five year old son trying to set me up with his friend's mother, beside she probably married anyway._

"_And I'm going to beat up all the boys that hurt her daddy, just like you did to Jamie."_

_What! How the hell did he know about that? _

_A few months Alice turned up at my doorstep with a black eye claiming that she fell on the stairs. I knew she was lying but I let it go and kept a close eye on my sister and her boyfriend. Two weeks ago I went to her store only for her assistant to tell me that she was sick. Alice is never sick, I can't remember her even having a day off school and she hated school, so I knew something wasn't right. I went to her house and didn't even bother to knock; I just forced the door open and made my way into her house. I will never be able to erase the images that I now have of my sister from that day. Alice lay broken on her bedroom floor. Her small delicate body was covered in blood and bruises. I called my dad and an ambulance straight away and as soon as I knew she was safe and on her way to the hospital, I went on the hunt for James. _

_Alice had been dating James for about four months before I found her. No one really liked him, but we allowed Alice to choose who she wanted to date and we made an effort to get to know him. That was the rule we had made in our family, we would respect the other sibling's partners, whether we really like them or not. Alice had never bad mouthed Jane when we were together - however she doesn't have a nice thing to say about her now- so I gave James that same chance. That rule is no longer exists._

_With Emmett's help, we found James that same night behind an old book store in Port Angeles. Emmett kept a look out so we had no witness and I showed James some brotherly love. For every bone that he broke of Alice's, James got double. The only people who knew about that night were my dad and Emmett. So how the hell did my son find out? _

"_What makes you think I hurt Jamie?" I asked_

"_I heard you and uncle Em talk about it?" He replied gingerly. _

"_You should not be ears dropping Anthony and you don't hit anyone unless they hit you first, okay?" I ordered._

"_Okay."_

_I decided to worry about what Anthony had heard later, I will have talk to him properly and make sure my mother and sister don't find out._

"_Okay buddy, time for bed." I dried him, put on his spongbob pjs and read him two books before his eyes closed and sleep took over._

The melody I was playing finished and I started to play one of my favourite songs when I heard something fall and smash in the hall. I raced out of my seat and lunched towards the noise, stopping suddenly when I saw the cutest little girl staring at me. My heart broke when I saw her tears falling down her rosy cheeks and her adorable little bottom lip was shaken.

"It's okay princess." I kept my voice soft and composed; I didn't want to scare her.

I took a small step toward her, but when I did she took a few steps back, making me stop; the little girl stopped too. By the way she reacted to me I knew she was scared, so I tried not to make any sudden movements. I looked at her profile and knew straight away who she was. My son had described Leah perfectly, she looked exactly how I pictured she would with her long beautiful hair framing her face. She was wearing a cute purple t-shirt with Hannah Montana on it, a pair of jeans and pink chucks that were identical to Anthony's.

"You must be Leah?" She furrowed her eyebrow in confusing.

"I'm Edward, Anthony's daddy." As soon as I mentioned my son's name, Leah face lit up, excitement shined in her deep chocolate eyes. "Anthony has told me a lot about you." I added hoping that she will become more at ease with me. "He's very excited to have you as his friend."

A pageant winning smile graced her face. A warmth ran through my body when she smiled at me. I was not sure what I was feeling but I knew that I was affected by this little girl, just like my son was.

"Leah, are hurt princess? Did the glass cut you?" I asked. I quickly looked her over with my eyes and I couldn't see any blood but I did notice that eyes her had filled with tears again. "It's okay, you're not in trouble. I just want to make sure you're not hurt." I expressed slowly.

"Leah, can I come over to check your hands please?"

She nodded her head and I sighed with relief. She was giving me her trust and I had a feeling that she did not give out her it to people easily.

I sat on my knees, gently checking for any cuts on her arms, legs or on her small hands. I found nothing, she was perfect. I moved my eyes to her eyes and smiled at her, I was awarded one back from her.

"Anthony's at his nana's right now, but can you wait on the couch while I clean up the glass and then I'll take you back to your parents?" I asked her. She frowned at me and I felt a tug in my heart, I did not like this expression.

"We can talk to your parents about a play date for you and Anthony if you like?" I suddenly felt nervous; I wanted to make her happy again.

I was not disappointed when my new favourite smile appeared.

I quickly cleaned up the glass on the floor, locked the back door and grabbed my jacket from the kitchen table. When I walked back into the living room Leah was sitting at the piano glazing her delicate fingers over the keys. I felt an overwhelming feeling of longing that I couldn't explain.

"Can you play?" I slowly asked her, not wanting to scare her again.

She nodded her head while placing her finger in lap and not looking at me. Either this little girl was very shy or was very scared of doing something wrong. She looked so small and fragile sitting there in front of my grand piano. I wanted to kept that smile that was there before; take her on little adventures with my son, read her bedtime stories, I wanted to protect from all the bad in the world. There was only one other person in my life that I felt this way towards and he shares my genes.

"Would you like me to teach you?" Her head snapped up at me, her eyes sparkling again while she was nodding her head very fast, making me scared it would fall off. I wanted to clap my hands and jump for joy at her answer.

"Great, may I sit next you?" I asked, slowly walking over to the bench. Leah moved to the edge of the bench making room for me and giving silent permission to sit next to her.

I showed her the basic keys, trying to explain everything in detail so she would understand me clearly. She never talked to me, nodding her head when I asked her a question but I was excited with her enthusiasm to learn something I was passionate about.

Leah picked up the basics very quickly and I was surprised by how much of a natural she was and how keen she wanted to learn. I had tried to teach Anthony in the past, but he never really wanted to play the piano so he didn't put much onto his lessons.

Time disappeared as we sat there playing twinkle twinkle little star. I had forgotten about Leah's parents and how I was meant to take her home. I was enjoying myself so much that I didn't want the lesson to end and by the way that Leah kept bouncing on the bench and clapping her hands after she had completed the nursery rhythm, I guessed she felt the same.

I wave of guilt washed over as I wondered if her parents knew where she was. I'm sure she told them she was coming to see Anthony; however I'm sure they would not be happy to find out that she had been here alone with me. I suddenly felt anxiety rip through my body.

"Leah does your parent know you are here?" I questioned. She stopped playing with the keys, turned her head and her beautiful eyes locked with mine. She didn't need to answer my question, the fear in her eyes told they had no idea. Shit, they must be tearing their hair out with worry.

"It's okay, sweetie, let's go and explain where you have been." My voice was calm and tender. "Did you enjoy playing the piano?" I asked. She nodded her head very fast again, making me chuckle.

"Me too." The fear had left her eyes and had been replaced with excitement and happiness, I'm sure my eyes showed the same.

"Alright, princess, we better get you home, your parents must be so worried about you." She nodded her head again but looked down at her lap. I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head, I had no idea what made me do it but I don't like seeing her like this. It was at this moment that I noticed that she had still not spoke to me. She has answered all my questions by nodding her head at me.

"Leah is your parents in the house next door?" I asked her, she finally looked at me and mouthed "Mom" to me. Instead of answering me Leah stood up from the bench and began to move her dangly little legs around the bench. The warmth rushed through me again when she slowly placed her hand in mine and mouth "Mom" to me again.

We made our out the front door, the rain was light but the sun was shining through the dull clouds, this was a rare treat for Forks, the sun never appeared here. Leah held my hand tightly as we made our way down the path; I was surprised how comfortable and natural this felt to have her beside me, trusting me to take care of her. Maybe I getting broody, I always wanted a little girl, maybe one day I could still have one. I decided I was not going to analyse any of this and give enjoy the time I had with her.

"Alright sweetheart which house is your?" I asked, I already knew her house was the one of the left of my house as that was the only house on the street that was empty until this week. However she didn't point to her house. Leah pointed to the two cruiser cars parked in front of the driveway of her house. I knew straight away who those cars belonged too. But I didn't get much time to think about it as loud scream invaded my brain.

" LLLLEEAAAHHH." A small woman yelled loudly, the guilt I felt earlier was back twice as bad as it was before. I could hear the pain in the woman voice and it was my fault, I should have taken Leah straight home when I first saw her in the hallway door. Instead of letting stay and play on my piano.

"Is that your mom?" I asked Leah, but before she could answer the woman ran down her path once she had noticed her daughter standing next to me.

"Leah, get away from her, Leah." I watched as she ran up to Leah and grab her from me.

"Get away from her." What the hell?

"Look I'm sorry that …." She interrupted me by continuing to yell at me, while pulling Leah's hand out of mine. She turned to face me, her eyes wide with determination and fear.

"Let her go now, you arsehole, get away from my daughter." She pushed one of her hands in to my chest and grabbing Leah with the other.

"Can I explain please?" I asked trying to stay calm.

"Explain, yes you can explain to my father why you tried to kidnap my daughter, you can explain…"

This time I cut of her off, I knew she was upset that her daughter went missing and I should be a little more understanding being a parent myself, but I was pissed that she was accusing me of stealing her daughter.

"I did not kidnap her," I hissed but she ignored me just continuing to push and yell at about getting me arrested for kidnap. I was surprised when I felt a pleasant tingling sensation spread through me when her hands toughed my body.

"Fuck, will you stop pushing me and let me explain what happened." I tried once again pushing her hand away from her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME." She screamed.

I stepped back and raised my hands up in surrender. This was the first I got to take a good look at the woman in front of me. Fuck she was beautiful, she had the same colour of hair as Leah but had it tied high in a ponytail, which allowed me to view her long slender neck. God I wanted to kiss all over it right now. My eyes make their way across her face, she had a cute button nose on her heart shaped face and full gorgeous lips that made my jeans tight very quickly. But it was her eyes that took my breath away, they were a deep hazel with little specks of gold and I wanted to get lost in them. I was pulled from my ogling when I heard Emmett's voice.

"Bella, Bella, honey calm down. She's okay."

I looked away from the brunette and turned towards Emmett, everything made sense now. This woman was Emmett's Bella, the woman he never stops talking about. I quickly filled my mind with memories of what Emmett had told me about Bella, trying to remember if he mentioned about her moving home.

"Em, he kidnapped Leah, arrest him now." She demanded, my lust for her was gone and now I was pissed again.

"I did not kidnap her, if you would stop yelling at me for one fucking second and let me explain, you would know that." I yelled back at her, annoyance laced in my voice.

"You're lying."

"Fuck you. Maybe if you watched her better she wouldn't have disappeared." It was a low blow, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"You bastard." She went to lung at me but Emmett was quicker than she was.

"Bella, stop. Edward would never kidnap Leah." He had his huge arms were wrapped around her tiny waist. If I wasn't so pissed off I would have found the image quite funny.

"What, you know this dumb ass?" My eyes grew wide and I clenched my fists together, chanting, you do not hit a woman over and over in my head.

"Yes he's my partner" Emmett loosened his grip on the crazy woman, turned her around to look straight into her eyes as he explained who I was. Leah was standing beside her mother, her small hand placed safely in Bella's. Her little body was shaken from all the yelling, the fear was also back in her eyes causing my anger to disappear. I just wanted to reach over and hug her to my chest.

"Edward, what happened bro?" Emmett asked. I noticed that Bella was crying now and I felt a tug at my heart. What was wrong with me today?

I was just about to explain when Bella interrupted me, again.

"Em, I'm gonna take Leah inside, you can explain what happened to me later." She announced wrapping an arm around her daughter. Bella never waited for an reply, she looked at me with an intense stare and then quickly walked away. I could not believe that this was the same Bella that Emmett has raved about for the last few years. I imagined her to sweet, considerate and not such a bitch. She didn't know me. She wouldn't listen to a damn word I had to say but just accused me of kidnapping her daughter. But fuck she was beautiful, to be truthful I don't think I've ever saw a woman as beautiful she is.

"Dude, what happened?" Emmett asked.

I explained how I found Leah in my hall and about the piano lesson, he listened to every word with a look of confusion on his dimpled face.

"Wait, was Leah okay when you touched? She didn't scream or anything?" He asked with elation laced in his voice.

"No, why would she?" Now I was really confused. " I did notice that she didn't talk to me though, I just assumed she's shy."

"Why don't I come over and explain everything later to you, it will take awhile." He announced letting out a deep breath.

"Fine, but I want an apology from your insane girlfriend." I slightly chuckled.

"Hey, Edward," I froze at the sharp tone in Emmett's voice. "You don't know the first thing about her, she's been to hell and back these last few years so back off, anyway how would you feel if Anthony disappeared? For him to only turn up with a complete stranger? You would be pissed too." He rambled passionately.

I was in awe with his loyal and compassion for Bella. I had always had a feeling that he felt deeply for her but to see him defend her with so much fervour, blew me away.

"I'm sorry." I signed. "Your right, can you do me a favour though." Emmett raised one eyebrow at me along with a scrawl on his face. I choose to ignore him ask him and continued. " After your explained everything to Bella, can you please tell her how great I am with kids and that I would never do anything to hurt Leah because I promised my son that I would ask her if I could set up a playdate for him and I also promised Leah that I would ask her about piano lessons."

"Leah really wants piano lessons, with you. Wow."

"Yes with me, why are you so surprised Emmett, I've …"

"Leeaahh." Bella's voice cut me off again, I was getting pissed with her doing that.

My head snapped in the direction of her voice only to see Leah's tiny body running in my direction with Bella running after her. I briefly noticed my boss watching us at Bella's front door; however my focus was on the girl running towards me.

"Leah, stop." Bella panted, but Leah ignored her and ran straight into my body. Her small arms wrapping tightly around my legs, her head squished into my torso. My hand automatically want her back hugging her to me.

I heard a gasp escape Bella's mouth, her hand was covering her mouth and tears were falling down her rosy cheeks. Emmett had a huge grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye, I swear he looked like he was gonna burst into tears any moment. What a pussy.

I knelt down in front of Leah so I could give her a really hug. "Thank you princess."

She nodded her head, removing her hands around my neck.

"Sorry Edward," Bella whispered delicately. Her eyes full of concern.

"Me too," I answered back, the tingling feeling back again as I looked in her eyes. I looked away quickly, bended my head and kissed the top of Leah's head.

"You be good for your mom, okay." I whispered to her.

I watched her walk away with Bella by her side; I shamelessly watched her ass swaying in front of me. I could just imagine how soft it would feel in my hand, all glowing and pink. I felt my jeans grow tight for the second time in fifteen minutes.

"Edward, Edward. Stop checking out my best friend." Emmett snapped. Shit, I was busted.

I chuckle at myself. " Alright, I'm going to pick Ants up from my moms, I'm confused as fuck about all this, so you better come around and explain everything later Emmett."

"Sure man, I promise." With that we parted ways, I got into my car and noticed that Leah was in the chief's car. The chief was standing at his car talking to Bella who still looked very upset. Leah's eye's locked with mine through the car window; she gave me a little wave which I returned. She was too cute for words.

_**AN- What do you think about Leah reacted with Edward? Did he do the right thing? Please, please review. There better than Edwards's piano skilled hands.**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**Speak **_

Chapter 5

Edward

All the way to my mom's I couldn't get Bella out of my head; her doe eyes, long beautiful hair that I just wanted to wrap my hands around, the way her painted on jeans framed her perfect ass, and that white cotton t-shirt that showed off the shape of her glorious breasts. She was the type of girl that I always imagined I would marry- that never needed to cover her face in make-up or wear fancy designer clothes to make her beautiful. Bella was a natural beauty; she had clearly passed that gene onto her daughter. There was no mistaking that Leah was Bella's daughter, they looked so alike with their brown eyes and hair. The only difference I had noticed in the small time I saw them together, was that Leah's skin was darker than Bella. An image of a little girl with brown hair and green eyes popped in my mind. Fuck, I've only known the women for five minutes and I'm picturing our kids. I really needed to get my head out of the clouds, but I was surprised when I realised that I didn't want to forget about Bella Swan; in fact I wanted the opposite. Emmett was right though, I didn't know anything about her, but I now planned to change that little fact very soon.

I had always thought that Emmett was secretly in love with her. To my relief, he wasn't anger or jealous when he noticed my ogling. In fact, he laughed at me and pointed out how obvious I was. So I was guessing he would be fine with me dating his best friend. Dating? What has gotten into me? I don't even know the women, and from the way she acted earlier, I would bet that she hated my guts right now.

I parked my Volvo in my parents drive. I was offered a cruiser from the Chief when I moved here, but I really didn't want to be driving my son around in a police car. I also saw the attention that Emmett and the other lads had gotten from women about their cars, and that was the last thing I wanted, so I bought myself a soccer mom's car. It was the best decision I ever made.

"Mom? Dad? Anthony?" I yelled as I walked through the door. The smell of homemade food surrounded my senses creating flashbacks of my childhood.

"Daddy, you're here!" My son's voice yelled, followed by his little legs running in my direction.

"Anthony. No running in the house." I warned him in my best dad tone.

"Sorry, Dad." I ruffled his hair letting him know that he was forgiven, and we made our way into the kitchen, knowing that my mother would be standing in front of the stove. I was proven correct when I noticed her stirring something in a pot.

"Hey, Mom." I leaned over and kissed her cheek. My mother believed that a true man was always a gentleman- no matter what century we lived in.

"Hi, Sweetheart." She answered warmly.

"Daddy, did you ask Bella about my play date with Leah?" Anthony whined tugging at my t-shirt. I looked down into his hopeful green eyes.

"How did you know Leah's mom was called Bella?" I asked him. He never mentioned her name before, having only referred to her as Leah's mom.

"She told me." He answered shrugging his shoulder as if the information was not important.

"Bella Swan?" My Mom asked breaking my glaze on my son.

"Yeah, you know her?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know her well." Her lips curved up on one side.

"Really?" I asked. I had never heard her mention Bella before. Maybe she could tell me more about her.

I watched her wipe her hands on her apron and move to get something out of one of the cupboards, her caramel hair falling loosely out of her bun. I turned back to my son who was still tugging at my white t-shirt.

"Uncle Em is going to talk to Bella tonight about your play date, okay? Why don't you go and tell Pops I'm here." Anthony nodded his head and made his way to find my father; giving me the perfect opportunity to grill my mom about Bella.

"So, what do you know about Bella?" I questioned.

My mom looked at me from the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face.

"What is it that you want to know, Edward?" Her voice laced with sweetness and a hint of amusement.

I jumped on top the worktop, settling in to hear everything my mother knew. "She has the most adorable little girl, have you meet her?" I answered.

"Yes, I've met Leah a few times over the years; Bella has done a wonderful job." I nodded in agreement. I couldn't help but get the feeling that I have missed out on something; that I was just catching up on something. I guess, in a way, I am. I decided to ask my mom the one question that I wanted to ask Emmett later, but wasn't sure if I should.

"Do you know Leah's father, too?" I asked. A sad glaze covered my mother's eyes, creating an uneasy feeling in my gut.

"Yes. I know who he is."

"Who is he?" I could feel my heartbeat increase, afraid that she was going to tell me that my best friend was Leah's father. Even though I knew, deep down, that he wasn't.

"Jacob Black." She whispered. Jacob Black, I knew that name, but I couldn't remember from where. "You know his father, Billy Black." She continued.

"Oh, isn't Billy's son… Oh!" I gasped when I put the puzzle together. Billy's son had died just before I moved here. That meant that Bella was raising Leah alone- just like I was raising Ant.

I watched my mother cooking in silence for a few minutes before my curiosity got the better of me.

"Mom, do you know what happened to him? I know he died, but that's all…"

"Daddy, I found him." Anthony interrupted, dragging my father into the kitchen by his hand.

"Hi, Son." My father chuckled, making his way over to me. I embraced him in our usual greeting where my father pats me on the back, and I nod my head in greeting.

"Anthony, why don't we go and get washed up for dinner?" My mom suddenly announced. She made her way passed me and whispered something into my father's ear. I watched the same sadness that my mom had just a second before glaze over my father's blue eyes. He just nodded his hand and ran a hand through his blond hair- a habit I had picked up on.

I watched my father collected himself. Whatever he was going to talk to me about was very hard for him, and I felt the uneasy feeling in my gut again.

"So? Bella's moved back to town?" He asked moving to lean against the counter opposite me.

"Yeah, she's my new neighbour." I watched a flick of excitement light up his face, but the sadness quickly appeared again.

"What has Emmett told you about Bella and Leah's past?"

"Nothing." I sighed, my body hunching over while I rested my elbows on my knees. "He's coming over later to explain Bella's craziness."

"Bella's craziness?" He asked. I wasn't going to tell him anything until I knew what he knew about her.

"I'll explain after you tell me what you know about her?"

"Okay." He agreed. Wow! I didn't expect him to agree to that quite so easily.

"You know Bella is Charlie's daughter?" I nodded my head encouraging him to continue. "Right. Well, I meet Bella about six years ago, just after we moved here. Her boyfriend Jacob Black brought her into the hospital after she fell off of her motorbike. They had moved to Phoenix together to go to college. Anyway, I got to know Bella and Jacob that summer- the three of them went everywhere together." He laughed to himself, lost in his memories.

"Three of them?" I asked, bringing him back to the present.

"Bella, Jacob, and Emmett. Has Emmett never mentioned them?"

"Yeah, he mentions Bella all the time, but never Jacob." My curiosity was at high peak now.

"Oh well, that's understandable. Beside Bella, Jacob was Emmett's best friend; they all grew up together here in Forks. Emmett stayed here for college, as you know he's very close with Charlie. He wanted to follow in his footsteps so he stayed here to train with Charlie." I nodded my head again; I wanted to collect all the information before I said anything.

"Bella had broken her arm that day. I had taken some blood work from her, and warned her to stay off her bike for the next nine months," he smiled. "They had no idea that Bella was pregnant. Jacob had to reassure Bella that everything would work out. I sat there watching him take care of her, easing her worries away."

"What happened to him?" I finally asked, his smile falling from his face.

"I got a phone call during the night about five years ago; Emmett had phoned asking if I could fly out to Phoenix straight away. He didn't say what had happened, expect that Bella needed me. After that day Bella broke her arm, I had treated her whenever she visited here. We had gotten to know Bella and Jacob very well. Anyway, I took the first plane out there; Bella was 8 months pregnant by this time. Emmett met me at the airport. He tried to explain that Jacob was dead, and Bella wasn't handling it very well. He was a mess, barely holding it together, and was very scared about Bella and the baby. Bella wouldn't talk to anyone or let any other doctor check that she and the baby were okay. She blamed herself for his death." He sighed.

"Why did she blame herself?" I asked.

"Jacob had run out to the nearest store that was open late at night to get her something she wanted that night. He was shot by a robber in the store." He added.

My chest grew very tight at an image of Bella, broken and crying over her boyfriend while trying to take care of a baby girl.

"Bella gave birth to Leah two days later." He added.

"Fuck, she was premature?" I asked shocked. Not only did Bella have to deal with the sudden death of her boyfriend, but she had a baby that was born a month earlier than she was due.

"Yeah, she had trouble breathing and needed to stay in the hospital for a few of weeks, but she was a beautiful little girl." I tried to picture Leah as a baby; I can only imagine how beautiful she was.

"You were there?"

"Yes, your mother joined me. She wanted to help Bella, knowing that she would need a female around to help her." I realised that I had never questioned where the Chief's wife was. I knew he was married as he still wore his wedding ring, but I had never seen her, or even heard him mention her.

"Where was Bella's mother?" I wondered. I was not trying to question my parents actions, this sounded like something my parents would do. I loved how they would always go out their way to help someone else. From what my father was telling me, I'm guessing they grew very close, and grew to care about Bella a lot- since they dropped everything to take care of her, when she needed them.

"Bella's mother died during childbirth. Charlie raised Bella by himself just like you are with Anthony."

"Why did I not know anything about this?" I wondered.

"You were in Chicago, getting ready for my grandson." He answered as if I should have already known about it.

"Dad that was…"

"Hello family." A high bell sounding voice called from the front door ending our conversation. I filed what my father had told me away, hoping it would make more sense when I talked to Emmett later tonight.

My sister's heels clicked on the hard surface of the flooring as she walked into the kitchen, her presence lighting up the room. It always amazed me how she could do that. Wherever we would go, people always noticed Alice. They always talked to her, inviting her to events. She was the popular one at school; dated the jocks, hanging out with the cheerleaders, and she was even voted prom queen. She was everything I wasn't. I was the geek of the family; I always had my nose in a book, or I spent my time playing the piano. I was never unhappy or bullied at school. I had a few friends that I spent my time with in and out of school, but I never had the life Alice did. That was something I was grateful for; I loved my quiet life, unlike my sister's.

"Dinner's ready." My mother announced. I hadn't even noticed that she'd come back into the kitchen. I looked at the dinner table to find Anthony already sitting there chatting happily with his aunt. I walked over, kissed her head, and sat in the seat next to her.

"Hello my dearest brother. What has you thinking so hard?" She laughed.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about helping me organize a couple of events to raise some money. I want to open one of the Kid's Centres that they have in Seattle, here." I announced, while filling my plate with mashed potatoes. Forks had a few parks, ice cream shops, a beach, and a couple of sport courts for kids to play on, but there is very little for kids to do here. Seattle has a play centre that Anthony loves. It had a big pirate's ship that is made like a bouncy castle; with slides, swings, climbing frames, even those colourful balls that you can jump around in. I wanted to open one here. Seattle is too far away to drive to all the time and Anthony starts school next week, so that only leaves the weekends to go. I explained this to my sister, even though she already knew about it. Anthony has often phoned her, begging her to take him when I couldn't.

My parents thought it was a great idea and we spend the next couple of hours decided on fundraising events that we could do. Alice decided she wanted to do a fashion show in the local mall. She was sure that the shops would donate some outfits and people would pay to watch the show. My mom wanted a family sport's day where families would compete against each other in different sporting events. Anthony was very excited about this event, claiming that with his family would win them all. If I had to be truthful, I really liked the idea as well. It was something fun and exciting that would require families to spend the day together. The other event that both my mother and sister jumped up and down about was an auction. They wanted it to be an adult only event where people would pay for someone else for one night. I agreed to think about this event, I really did not want to have to spend an evening with someone like Tanya or Jessica if I could help it.

XXX

I carried my sleeping son out of the car, the air was chilly and misty, creating small balls of air to escape from Anthony's mouth as he gently breathed against my chest. He fell asleep in my lap while everyone was trying to come up with fundraising ideas, so I had said goodbye to my family and quickly made my way home. I was debating in my head if I should wake him for his bath or just leave it until in the morning. It was only one night he would miss it, but it was also something I did not want to make into a habit.

I took a closer look at my son sleeping in my arms, noticing how much older he looked. His features were slowly changing, his baby fat was gone, his hair darker, and his body heavier. Soon he would off be to college and getting married. The thought scared the shit out of me. He'll not need me soon, he'll be able to make his own breakfast or drive his own car to school. He was growing too quickly for my comfort.

I walked towards my front door, keys in one hand, the other was holding onto Anthony while his head rested on my shoulder, legs dangling under my arm. I was so busy trying to keep Anthony's body still that I almost missed a plate at my front door. A large white plate full of what looked like cookies and a small note was lying on the ground. I had no idea where they could have come from. The only person I knew that baked cookies was my mother, and I was just with her, so I knew it wasn't her. I tried to bend down hoping to grab the plate with the hand that I had my house keys in. I had seen movies where women could pick something up while holding their child so it couldn't be that hard, right?

I slowly bent my knees, lowering myself towards the ground, holding onto my son- praying that he doesn't fall. When I had reached a very low crouching position, I grabbed the note from the plate, opened it quickly and read it.

_Edward, _

_I'm very sorry for what I said to you earlier. Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Here are some chocolate chip cookies I made for you and Anthony. I hope you can forgive me. _

_Bella_

I smiled at Bella's note. She sounded sincere and even left an apology gift which I would happily indulge in later. This also gave me an excuse to go over to her house tomorrow, talk to her, and get to know her better.

I grabbed the plate and brought it to my nose, God they smelled great. I couldn't wait to get inside and try one, but as I tried to slowly stand up I realised that - with the position I was in and my son still laying heavily on one side of my body - I could not stand up.

I could feel my legs wobble when I tried to move. Maybe if I moved sideways, slowly, and then tried to stand that way; or if I tried to jump up very quickly, I might get up; however I guess my legs could not handle the amount of time because my legs gave way, and I fell backwards onto my ass. I grabbed Anthony quickly moving him to my chest so that his body didn't hit the ground- which resulted in my falling down with my back and head hitting the patio ground. God, these cookies better be worth it, I thought, surprised I had managed not to drop the plate during my fall.

"Hey, Bro." Emmett chuckled, appearing out of nowhere. "You alright there?"

"Hey, how's Bella?" I cursed at myself. I didn't even make it into the house before I brought up her name. What the hell is wrong with me?

Emmett just chuckled again at me. "She's alright now."

"Good."

"Why are you laying on the ground?" I could hear the amusement in his voice; he was trying hold in his laughter so that he didn't wake Anthony up.

"I fell trying to pick up Bella's cookies." I answered. "Can you take Ants for me?" Emmett took him from my arms with one arm and the plate of cookies with the other. I stared at how easy it was for him, he was carrying Anthony as if he weighed nothing.

"Thanks." I laughed.

I opened the door, took Anthony from Emmett, and made my way up the stairs. "I'll just be a sec, Em."

"No probs." He waved me off. I could hear him moving around in the kitchen probably hunting for the beer.

After I changed Anthony's sleeping body into his nightwear and tucked him into his bed, I found Emmett sitting in living room, beer in one hand and one of Bella's cookies in the other. I grabbed myself a bottle and settled in the chair beside him.

We sat quietly for a while before Emmett broke the silence. "So, Leah any good on the piano?"

I nodded my head, taking a sip of my beer. "She's a natural, it took her roughly twenty minutes to get all the basics and learn _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star_. You should have seen her little eyes light up whenever she got the notes correct."

"Yeah, she's amazing." He added. I watched as several emotions crossed his face: pride, joy, sadness, excitement, but mostly love.

"Dad told me about Jacob." I decided to just tell what I already knew, hoping he'd give me more information.

"I guessed he would, but that's not why Bella reacted the way she did today though, well maybe it did a little. Leah is all Bella has left of Jake." I nodded in understanding, but he never looked at me, he just stared at the television. I knew that it must be hard for him to talk about Jacob, he has been my best friend for years and he had never mentioned him.

"Why did she react that way then?" I got straight to the point, my curiosity taking over. "I know why she was upset, that's understandable, but why did she accuse me of kidnap even after you told her who I was?"

Emmett made a deep sigh, putting his head in his hands and pulled at his short curly hair.

"Please don't interrupt me because I only want to tell this story once, I can't tell you everything because it's Bella's story to tell you, if she wants, but I'll tell the basics." I nodded my head at him again agreeing to request.

"Okay."

He took another deep breath and turned his body to face me. I copied him knowing that I needed to be comfortable as I could, I had a feeling this may take a while.

"Okay, for about three years, after Jake died, Rosie and I had been trying to get Bella to move on and start dating again. Bella is an amazing woman and we believed that she and Leah deserved someone to love them and cherish them. I still do, but Bella always refused saying that she was not ready."

"Wait, who's Rosie?" Emmett glared at me for interrupting but answered me anyway.

"Rosalie is Bella's best friend from Phoenix. Don't interrupt." He continued still glaring at me. "Last year, Bella finally decided to go on a date with a guy she met at work. He had been asking her out for months so she finally agreed. After the date Bella said that there were no feelings there, and that she just wanted to be friends with him. James had agreed with her, and they soon become really good friends. Everything was good until Bella went on a date with some other guy. She then started getting flowers sent to her door and chocolates delivered to her work. The one thing about Bella, is that she doesn't see herself clearly, she's never believed that she was beautiful or all that. She always said that she was plain and boring, no matter how many times Jake told her she was wrong, she still never believed him; but I don't need to tell you how beautiful she really is." He added looking at me with a smirk on his face. I turned my head away from him with a small smile. Nope he didn't need to tell me, I could safely put my hands up and say that she was defiantly the most beautiful women that I've ever seen.

"So she couldn't understand why someone was sending her gifts. The gifts continued for a while, but then they started become personal; like photos of she and Leah at a park or grocery shopping. Charlie went down and put in security alarms in her house, and made her take pepper spray everywhere with her. Things started to get out of control when letters arrived at her door and text messages on her phone. You know the stuff I'm talking about; we've had to deal with stalkers before."

I nodded my head not wanting to interrupt.

"Senna, Bella's neighbour, had been watching Leah since Bella went back to college after Leah was born; so it was natural for her to watch her while Bella was a work. Bella went to Senna's to pick Leah up like she did every day. Senna told her that she was having her afternoon nap, but when Bella went to get her, Leah was not there."

I clenched my fists tightly as nausea filled my stomach. I knew what had happened without Emmett having to tell me. Someone had taken that innocent little girl from her bed. How could someone do that? Leah must have been so scared. I continued to listen to Emmett and tried to ignore the anger building inside me.

"We looked everywhere, but no one had seen her. Two days after she was taken, Bella got a call from James saying that he may have an idea of where Leah was and that she had to come right away. When Bella got to the location, James trapped her and Leah inside a wooden cabin, claiming that she was his, and that he was never letting her go."

"That son of bitch, he took Leah." I yelled. I was a police officer, so I was able to fill in the blanks quickly. I was on my feet pacing back and forth behind my sofa. I was too angry to just sit and listen to Emmett. Images of Leah and Bella tied up filled my head, and my heart ached for them. I knew they were next door safe, but the nausea was climbing up my throat, tears filling my eyes. I cannot begin to image how they must have felt, no wonder Bella reacted the way she did today.

"James underestimated Bella, he had forgotten that she grew up with two boys and has a cop for a father. Not only had she left the address that he gave her, on her kitchen table, but she fought him off, knocked him unconscious long enough to get Leah and get out of the cabin."

He finally looked up at me, his eyes still held the pain from that day. I ran my hand through my hair, my head hurt and was overloaded with all the information that I had gotten today. There was so much to process.

"Fuck, Em. I… I…" I had no idea what to say to him right now, my imagination was in overdrive of what had happened to them, Bella fighting James off, Leah being kidnapped. Fuck she was kidnapped by someone they knew and trusted.

"I know, maybe I should go and let you process it all. It's been a long day." He stressed.

"Yeah I guess you right. I just… argh, I really want to punch something right now." I ground my teeth together, as the anger rolled off my body.

"Imagine how I felt when it happened?" He sighed, lifting his huge body off my couch and headed towards the front door. "You're going to have to give Bella time to trust you with Leah, alright? She will come around eventually, and wait a couple of days before you start hounding me with questions. We have that training course next week so we can talk about it then if you want to know anymore."

"Fuck, I forgot all about that." I mumbled banging my head against the wall. "I still haven't talk to Anthony yet."

"You have to tell him."

"I know, I will." I answered. This is only Tuesday; I still have a few days to find the courage to tell my son that I had to leave him for a whole week. I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be another long day.

I said goodnight to Emmett, had a quick shower, and made my way to bed. My body felt drained and heavy, as my mind still processed all the information I had learned about Bella today. She had to be one of the strongest people I have ever met to have gone through everything she went through over that last few years. I would have fallen apart if anything happened to Anthony; he was my life, my reason to exist.

With a now heavy heart I dragged my heavy body into my son's room. After hearing how easily Leah was taken I needed to be beside my son tonight. To feel his body curled next to mine. Carefully I lifted him in my arms, carried him to my room, and wrapped my body around his.

"Daddy, what are you doing?" He slurred sleepily.

"Can you sleep beside Daddy tonight? He needs you." I whispered my voice deep and thick, I was trying not to let the tears fall and scare him.

"Ah huh." He placed his little head against my chest and an arm around my torso holding me against him. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too son, so much." I whispered back finally letting the tears silently fall. I made myself a silent promise: to not only protect the life that was sleeping in my arms, but to also protect the two precious souls that lived next door.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Hey Guys, welcome to all the new readers. Thank you to the many people who put me on alert. There are a lot of readers, but not many are reviewing. I hope that you will take a minute to let me what you think, even if it's just a smile or frown. I would very grateful. This chapter is a little long, so enjoy. **_

_**A warning- that the start of this chapter contains some sexual violence. **_

_**As always, I do not own Twilight, but I did create this story so copyright goes to babylou23, so please don't copy. **_

Bella

"NO, LET HER GO."

"Give me what I want and I will give you your daughter."

"LEAH, LEAH"

His laugh was dark, very dark, like the laugh the villains use in the horror movies when they always believe that they are going to get away with what they have done. I guess it fit's the scene perfectly as I feel like I'm living my own personal horror movie.

"Here, why don't I start us off, I'm sure Leah will sleep through it all so you can scream my name all you want."

He grabbed my face with one hand and focused my mouth open with the other, and then he pulled and grabbed a hold of my tongue. A shot of pain rips through my mouth making me whimper.

"You will obey me in time Bella, you will learn that _I_ control you and you will please _me_ in every fucking way I ask. Today will be lesson one." He warned me before he pushed her smarmy tongue in my mouth. He pushed it so far down my mouth; I started to gag which made him laugh again.

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. I had to get out of here. I have to find my daughter and get her away from this bastard.

"Mmm, you taste good sweetheart, let's see how my dick likes that fucking mouth." He smirked.

I tried desperately to get my hands free from handcuffs behind my back. If I could just get one hand free, than I can fight this bastard and get my daughter out of here.

"Open wide sweetheart." He grabbed my face again, the same way as before and forced my mouth open again. I felt him push his dick in my mouth and I tried to push it out with my tongue as well as thrusting my head away. However he was a lot stronger than I gave him credit for and he successfully started moving my head backward and forward while thrusting his hips towards me. However I was not given into him that easily.

"Fucking suck it, bitch. I mean it. If you don't give me what I want, I will go and get your daughter and hope your fucking kid learns quicker. Your choice, sweetheart." I knew that he was not joking. There was no way I was letting Leah anywhere near him so I did as he asked, tears were running down my face as I kept trying to stop myself from gagging again.

I was lost in my mind trying to think of a way to get my daughter too safety, that I never noticed that James had moved away from me until I felt him unbutton my jeans.

"James, no, please." I sobbed; my body was shaken from fear, while my breath had turned into fast panting.

" Shh, Bella, I promise I will make it good for you." He whispered in my ear. His breath making my skin crawl.

"No please, please James, not like this. Not with my daughter in the next room. Please let her go and then you can do whatever you want with me, but please let her go." I begged. He successfully unbuttoned my jeans and was now unbuttoning my shirt. I knew he was listening to me plead, but he never answered me or even looked at me.

"James, please." He grabbed my hair and pushed my face away from him, trying to get me to be quiet. The room became a blur with the tears that were now falling heavy and fast. I could however make out an old dirty wardrobe that sat in the side of the room. I looked at the wardrobe closer, maybe if I just stared at this than I wouldn't have to face his greasy blonde hair and maybe I won't feel what James was trying to do to my body.

"Please stop." I tried again.

"Shh or Leah will hear you, in fact stop begging or I will use your daughter instead." He growled.

I could feel my body go numb, I would give him what he wanted and I would stay quiet so that Leah would not know what was happening. I knew that someone would find us soon; I had left the address on the table. I just had to say quiet until Emmett arrived.

I thought of my best friend, how loving and caring he was. I know in my heart that he would take good care of my daughter for me. He would love her and cherish her and protect her, if I had to leave her behind. She would happy with him, she's loves him and she will have an amazing life, even if I'm not there.

James's heavy panting and moaning on my neck pulled me away from my thoughts.

"Fuck Bella, I have wanted you for so long. Now I can finally have you." He moans moving down my body. I blinked a few times trying to clear away the tears.

Then my heart suddenly stopped.

Not from the arsehole that was trying to dry hump my leg, but from the wide brown eyes that was peeking through a small crack in the wardrobe.

Leah.

No no. There was no way my daughter was watching this.

"No stop. Leah, James, stop. No No STOP NO NO STOP NO

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO."

My eyes flew open wide.

Leah.

I raced out of my bed and ran straight through my halls and into Leah bedroom. She was lying peaceful asleep in her bed. She is safe, James is gone and we're both safe. I kissed her forehead, making sure she was real. Her face was so peaceful; she had a small smile on her face which made my heart ache. I had no doubt in my mind now that I had made the right decision.

I thought about what had happened yesterday as I made myself a pot of coffee. The clock on the microwave flashed 6.23am, it was early but I knew that I didn't want to go back sleep, back to that nightmare.

Yesterday, had been a good and bad day. I thought about what Leah was like after we meet Seth in the mall, how she had lost herself into her own memories. How her eyes were blank and her small smile gone again. She was gone again. Then when she disappeared, I thought I had died and gone to back to hell. I looked everywhere praying she was exploring our new home.

Then, Edward.

My first reaction was that he had taken my daughter. I still feel guilty for accusing him of kidnapping her, especially when he was the one bringing her back to me. I never noticed how Leah was holding his hand, a huge smile on her face when she walked towards me. I never noticed how comfortable she was with him or how she never screamed, cried or was even scared of this man. The first half of event was a blur to me now.

The second half however, I did notice when Leah ran back to him and hugged his legs as if her life depended on them. I did notice how he looked at her with nothing but innocence and awe that I had never saw on a man's face before. When he whispered something in her ear, her smile grew and so did his. My emotions took over me at that moment and tears fell from my face while I watched them.

I was so confused. It took weeks for Leah to let my father be in the same room as her, never mind touch her without her being trapped inside her head. But this man was not only talking to her, but was holding her, hugging her. What was even more shocking was that Leah was the one to hug him first. She ran away from me to him. I can't get my brain to understand what happened. I thought it was best to push it to the back of my mind until we meet with Dr Stanley.

I will have to go over and apologies to Edward in person today. The guilt was eating at me and I knew that will have to explain my action to him. But I'm not sure if I want him to know everything that has happened. He has a son to protect; he may not want him around me after I tell him how I let a monster take my daughter. I felt a sharp pain settle in my gut, when I think not seeing Anthony again. I will just have to make sure that does not happen. I wiped the tears that fallen on my face and pushed the empty feeling away for now.

I had baked some cookies and took them over to Edwards, as a peace offer last night when Leah was with my dad, but he wasn't home. I decided to leave them hoping that I wouldn't have to go over again, but I knew in my heart that I had to talk to him. I had to find out what had happened between him and my daughter. Emmett had told me what Edward had told him, but I needed to hear it for myself. None of it made any sense to me, Leah has never showed any musical interest before and she has never walked into someone house before. Nothing about Edward and Leah made any sense to me.

I looked at the clock again to find that I had been sitting here for over two hours lost in my own thoughts.

I quickly found the waffle maker in one of the boxes and had enough ingredients that I had bought last night to make waffles for breakfast.

I mixed the ingredients together, poured them into the waffle maker and was making my way to Leah's bedroom when the doorbell rang.

"Morning Bella" Emmett's voice echoed. I looked at the little boy in his arms. He was staring at me with his gorgeous green eyes and the feelings I had earlier disappeared.

"Morning." Anthony gave a sleepy smile at me. I guess Emmett woke him up and dragged him over here.

"Ah, Bells, what's that smell?" Emmett sniffed his nose in the air like a dog.

"Shit." I ran back to the kitchen to find smoke flowing from the waffle maker, it was safe to say that breakfast was destroyed now.

"Hey Anthony, do you want to go out for breakfast?" I asked him. He was hugging Emmett, trying to go back sleep on his shoulder.

"Yes please." He answered his voice was low and groggy, he was so cute when he was sleepy.

"Where's Leah?" His small voice echoed.

"She's still sleeping honey." I replied. He wriggled his little body like a graceful snake out of Emmett huge arms and raced out of the kitchen.

"Well he's fully awake now." I giggled.

"I asked Edward if I could take him for the day since he's at work. I thought it would be good for him to spend the day with Leah." He commented while helping me clean the mess that was meant to be breakfast. "Anthony's been bugging him for a play date with Leah since the other day. Edward didn't know if you would allow Leah over at his, so I suggested that I take him instead."

I sighed, I felt bad that Edward didn't think I would let his son play with my daughter. I had nothing against his son; in fact I couldn't his get his huge bottle green eyes and award winning smile out of my head. I was in complete awe with his son and I had no idea why. But I didn't know Edward; I believe that he is the good guy from what my father and Emmett have said. But also believed that James was a good guy, that he was my friend who cared about me and my daughter. I was wrong about him and I promised myself that I would never make that mistake again. Maybe when I get to know Edward better, he can have Leah over at his. But I know that right now, especially after what happened yesterday, that I would not be comfortable. I'm sure once I explain all this to him, he would understand.

"Em, I love that Leah found a friend but …" I never got to finish explaining myself as two five year olds came running into the kitchen all flushed with smiles. Their smiles grew more when Emmett and I laughed at their choice in clothing. Leah tried to copy what Anthony was wearing, they both had on dark blue jeans - Leah had a pink love hearts at the bottom of her jeans - they were both wearing baseball t-shirts and a pair of black chucks.

"Oh look honey, we have twins." Emmett gushed.

"Alright kids, we ready to go?" I got three bobble head answers followed my two childish giggles. _Two giggles._ I stood still, my eyes wide, my mouth open. My daughter was giggling, not silent giggles that I had grown use too but housed filled belly giggles that was music to my ears. I looked from Leah to Emmett to make sure I wasn't dreaming. His face matched my own; I had just heard my daughter giggle for the first time in over half a year.

"Let's go I'm starving." Emmett chuckled grabbing our coats and heading out the door without me.

XXX

I helped the kids out of the car and we made our way into the local diner. It looked like an old 50s dinner with large red booths and juke boxes on the table. The walls were yellow and were in need of a good coat of paint, but beside looking a little run down I really liked the place.

"Hey Emmett." A woman with curly dirty brown hair greeted.

"Hey Jessica, table for four please."

"Jessica?" I whispered in his ear.

"Yep."

"Wow, she looks…"

"Old" was all Emmett answered. I took a closer look at her when we had finally sat down. I agreed she looked older than I knew she was, but she looked tired like the years have been very unkind to her.

"What can I get you?" She asked her voice quivering.

"I'll have an English breakfast, what do you want Bella?"

"Bella? Bella Swan?" Jessica asked finally looking in my direction, something that she has not done since we arrived.

Hi Jess." I gave her a small smile. "Can I have the same as Em and pancakes for Leah please?"

"Can I have pancakes too, please Bella?" Anthony angelic voice asked.

"Of course, pancakes for Anthony too, thanks Jess."

"Can you make that three pancakes please Jessica?" A velvet voice added. I turned to look at who the voice belonged too and was met with a more intense set of emerald green eyes. They were the same shapes as Anthony, but were deeper, darker and more dangerous than his.

"Daddy." Anthony squeaked bouncing on his chair. Edward pulled his eyes away from mine to look at his son and I felt a little empty for a second.

"Hey buddy, you look more awake now." Edward chuckled slightly glaring at Emmett for dragging his son out his bed this morning.

"Good morning princess." He turned his charm onto my daughter.

Leah smiled at him, her eyes glowing in amazing. I had never seen her look at anyone the way she was staring at Edward. Her face so innocence and delicate, she was watching him, like he was her hero.

"Daddy, are you sitting with us?" Anthony asked almost in a begging voice.

"If that's okay with you guys?" He gave a small loped sided grin that I wanted to lick. I suddenly had visions of myself not only licking his mouth, but his strong masculine jaw and the days' worth of stubble that had grown there. I wanted to nibble on his ear and suck it between my lips.

"Bella?" He called.

"What? oh yeah of course." I mumbled hiding my blush from him. What the hell was wrong with me? Yesterday I was accusing him of kidnapping my daughter and today I was day dreaming about licking his face.

I moved from beside Anthony to sit beside Emmett and Leah so that Edward can sit next to his son. Guilt pierced my heart when I saw the hurt in Edward eyes. Shit, he thinks I don't want him sitting next to Leah. Why didn't I think of that before? I tried to smile at him hoping he understood why I moved but he wouldn't look at me.

"So what you all doing today?" Edward asked.

"I was gonna take the kids through to Port Angeles for a bit. You have to go into work don't you Bells?" Emment echoed.

"Yeah." I answered watching Anthony and Leah play thumbs wars over the table.

"What do you do?" Edward asked, finally looking at me. His eyes were back to the intense warm green, pulling into a deep stare.

"I'm a photographer; I'm helping out at Forks high school right now"

Edward laughed which made me laugh with him. "Back to school, that should be fun."

"For some maybe." Emmett chipped in; I had almost forgotten that he was there.

"I thought you liked high school?" Edward questioned Emmett.

"No more than you did bro, but Bells loved school, she was all cheery and peppy." Emmett mocked in a high tone he uses when he is trying to interpret a girl's voice.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me in question; I just smirked back at him.

"Here you go" Jessica announced arriving with our food.

We fell into a comfortable silent while eating, except for Anthony who made loud mmm noises every time he took at bit of his pancakes.

"Do you make pancakes Bella?" Anthony asked me.

"I do, I love making pancakes." I answered sweetly.

"My daddy makes great pancakes too." Anthony mumbled through his food, smiling up at Edward.

"So does my dad." Edward mumbled through is food, smiling down at his son.

"Will you make Bella your pancakes, Dad?" Anthony asked, chewing his food.

"Absolutely, I own her for her amazing cookies." Edward answered, chewing his food.

"Yeah there were amazing eh?" Anthony answered, chewing his last piece of pancake.

"Yep, wish I could make them as good as Bella's." Edward answered, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"Leah's lucky to have Bella; Leah's my new best friend." Anthony commented, wiping his hands on his napkin.

"She is huh? Well your lucky to have her as your friend, you treat her like the princess she is, okay?" Edward warned him taking drink of his water.

"I will, you treat Bella like the angel she is okay, daddy." Anthony took a drink of his water copying every move Edward made. I covered my mouth with my napkin, trying to hold my amusement in.

Edward caught my eye, smiled and replied. "Of course buddy." I smiled back at him, red blush covering my cheeks. Was he flirting with me? I shook my head and looked at Leah, who looked up at me with the same amusement in her eyes that I'm sure was in mine. We both had finished over breakfasts before the boys and had watched Edward and mini Edward eat theirs.

You could never mistake that the Cullen boys shared the same genes, I was not sure if they had the same mannerisms or if Anthony just liked to copy his dad, but either way it was sweet to watch them together. It was clear that they shared a bond that was solid and secure. I found myself envy of their relationship, I loved my daughter with every fibre of my being but I knew that we did not share the same connection that Edward and Anthony shared. Ever since I failed her, it has been difficult getting her to stay in the same room as me sometimes. I understood her feelings towards me; I failed to protect her when she needed me the most and now I had to work for her trust again. But I had hope that I would get it back someday, that we can have that connection, hopefully it would be someday soon.

Leah tugged on my top and mouthed " bathroom" to me.

"Excuse us." I announced, Emmett just nodded his head while stealing the food that I had left off my plate, while Edward just gave a small smile and continued his conversion with Anthony and Emmett.

I stood up to let Leah past me, her dandy body moved passed the table and headed towards the bathroom, she was just about there when she tripped over her feet and fall on the floor.

When you're pregnant everyone tells you how great you feel when your child tells you they love you, or when they give you their first drawing or when you soothe their nightmares away. What they fail to tell you is the pain you feel when they cry in pain or when you can't make the nightmares go away, when they don't feel safe with you around. That was left out of the manual.

I moved to her quickly, her sobbed echoing in the diner.

"Where does it hurt honey?" I asked, she held up her right elbow but thankful there was no blood or cut. I was guessing she would have a bruise later.

"Are you okay princess?" Edward crunched in front of us, I could see the pain and concern on his face.

"I think she's just bruised her elbow."

"Can I see?" His eyes pleading. My first thoughts were that he was trying to belittle me. I wanted to tell him that I could look after my daughter and the old Bella would have said just that, but the guilt from yesterday and the pain in his eyes earlier allowed me to swallow my pride and nod my head at him. I held my breath terrified of how she would react to him. Would she scream and cry?

He slowly took hold of her arm; he was very gently with her. I let out my breath when she didn't make any noise, she just watched him move, her sobs slowing down.

I looked at him; his small tight butt was right in front of my eyes as he bend to check over my daughter. I will admit that he looked hot in his police uniform. I never thought I would say that being the chef's daughter and all, but I had a feeling Edward would look hot in anything he wears.

"Yeah, it will be just a bruise." His voice called pulling out of my ogling. "Your mom is very smart." He whispered to her but catching my eyes again and again I felt my face burn. What is with the guy, one look and I'm red as a tomato.

"Let's get to the bathroom before you had an accident." I whispered back. I stood up, took Leah hand and made my way to the restroom without looking back.

"Come here a sec?" I asked her when she left the toilet cube. I lifted her up on top the unit beside the sink. "Just lean over to wash your hands honey, I want to talk to you, just us girls." She smiled up at me, a real smile which me smile back at her.

"Did you go to Anthony's house yesterday?" She had fallen asleep in my dad's cruiser last night so I never got to talk to her about what happened at Edward's and I felt that I needed to know from her what had happened, before I allow myself to be too friendly with Edward.

Leah nodded her head while drying her hands on the towel I gave her.

"Was Edward nice to you?" If I didn't witness it myself I would never have believed that her smile grew so wide I could see all her teeth shining back at me. "What did you do with Edward?" I needed her to tell me what happened in her own way. I was worried that she would just agree with whatever I said so I had to ask her to explain instead, and she did.

I watched in amazement as Leah stretched both her arms out in front of her and started moving her hands just like she would if she was playing the piano.

"The piano?"

She clapped her hands and bounced up and down on the unit. I felt like we playing that game where you had to act out words of books or films for your group to guess.

"Do you want to play again?" I asked her. She looked at with excitement and hope reflecting from her eyes.

"Okay I will talk to Edward about some lesson for you okay." I giggled as I watched her bounce with excitement. This was not the same little girl that I couldn't get to even just paint a picture a month ago. After what happened in the mall I thought she would have gone to the quiet, empty girl for a while and we fall in the old pattern we had in Phoenix, but here she was, smiling and happy. Happy, that was all I wanted for her and if Edward and his piano was going to make her happy than that was what I would do. Things were going to be different in here in Forks. I just had to start believing that and believing in myself. I could be the mother she needs, the mother she deserve, the mother I know I could be.

I helped her down from the counter and we made our way back to our table. Emmett and Anthony were having an arm wrestling match on the table, but Edward was not there. I signed in disappointments, why didn't he wait to say goodbye. Maybe because I've been a cold heartless bitch to him.

"I'm gonna go pay." I announced quietly. I really wished Edward hadn't left like that. I guess I'll have to make muffins to take over with my apologies tonight.

"There's a party on Saturday night, you should come with me." I knew that voice; I looked up and spotted Jessica move her hand over Edwards arm.

"Thanks, but I'm taking my son to the beach on Sunday so I think I'll pass." Edward smoothly answers. I could see where Anthony got his manners from; I did also noticed how my heart leapt at him turning Jessica down.

"You can still go out on Saturday; I can think of others things to do without drink." She purred making me want to puke in her hair.

"No thanks." He answered moving her hand from his arm. The next thing I knew I was staring into his amazing eyes. I could get lost in these eyes, the way they flicker a deep green one minute than light green the next. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I felt like he was looking right into my soul carving his name there.

I was not sure how long we stared at each other but it Edward who broke the spell.

"I just paid the bill, I hope you don't mind." He said his voice smooth and creamy. He ran a hand through his hair. His hair! Why had I never noticed her hair before? It was a bronze, copper colour, a bit darker than Anthony and it was longer and messier. It looked like someone had been running their hands through it and pulling it while having wild mad sex. I would do anything right now to be the person to do that to him.

"Sure," I mumbled still imaging my hands in his hair. It looked so soft and silky. I quickly looked away from him, trying not to blush for the hundredth time this morning.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Ah, yeah." He gave a small smirk and went to walk away.

"Edward." I yelled a little too loud.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry; you know the thing with Leah yesterday." I tried to explain myself but I mumbled like a teenager.

"It's alright." He looked he was in pain which told me that I had really hurt him.

"No it's not; I should never have accused you of…" My voice laced with shame.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I have to get back to work but I would like to apologize to you myself properly, I should have brought her to straight home and …" He looked so cute rambling on.

"What time to do get off? I can cook dinner for us and we can talk tonight?" The words were out of my mouth before I realised what I was saying.

"I would really like that." He smiled which made me, than added "Can Anthony come?"

I laughed. "Of course, actually if it's okay with you, I can take him when he gets back from Port Angeles until you finish." I was really hoping he would agree. I knew that I was asking a lot from him considering what has happened between us already.

"Sure, if he wants too." He smirked.

"I do daddy, I wanna stay with at Bella's." Antony yelled. I looked at the table to find three sets of eyes watching us.

"Alright, I finish at five so I guess I'll see then." I could only smile at him. "You be good for Emmett and Bella." He ruffled Anthony's hair.

"I'll see you after princess." He leant over Anthony to kiss Leah's head.

"Bye." Everyone waved at him as he walked out the door. Did that really just happen? I invited an almost stranger to my house? Suddenly I didn't feel so giddy anymore; anxiety had taken its place. Give him a chance Bella, not ever guy is like James.

I promised myself that things would change here in Forks and I had to move forward and learn to trust men again.

"Alright kids, let's go." Emmett shouted followed by a little scream of joy and two sets of arms in the air. "Smooth Bella." He whispered in my ear before laughing at the scrawl on my face.

xxx

Mrs Bradley was the name of new boss. I had no idea who she was, the name was not familiar so I was guessing that she wasn't born here and I was interview by my old Biology teacher Mr Banner. He still looked like he did eight years ago, apart from some extra wrinkle and a few more grey hairs. He talked more about how grown up I looked - well he talked to my legs that were shown under my skirt - than the position I was applying for.

All Emmett could tell me was she was bossy and arrogant but in a very hot way. I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that I did not want to know how he knew that. Emmett's love life was something I did not want to hear about, ever.

A tall, very skinny, tanned women appeared before. "Isabella?" she asked, a fake smile gracing her face.

"Yeah, that's me." I followed her into a large dark office. A strong smell of cheap perfume made my head dizzy, but I took a deep breath and tried to hold it as long as I could, trying not to use my nose.

"It's good to finally meet you Isabella, I'm sorry I missed you for your interview." She pushed her wild curly red out of her eyes so she could see me better. Her eyes moved over my body slowly, I suddenly felt uneasy in her presence. She was looking at me like I was something she scraped off her shoes.

"That's okay and I go by Bella." I answered feeling very small.

"Alright Bella, here is your course program for the year, academic calendar, it has important meetings added on but there will be ones that are not on there. It also has all the dates of exams, assignments. The first meeting for staff is on Monday, school begins on Tuesday and my assistant will show you your studio, if you have any problems with your studio talk to Miss Weber as she is head of your department." She continued to ramble for another half hour about the school, what to do, what not do. I sat wondering how someone so young and so annoying can b be the head of this school.

With another fake smile and a massive headache I finally left her office, breathing in the clean fresh air deeply and started to make my way to my studio when a familiar voice called out my name.

I turned to the voice and froze in complete shock. What is he doing here?

He gave me a toothy smile, the light shining on his blonde hair making him sparkle.

"Good to see you again Bella"

_**What do you think? Any ideas who the male at the end is? Please review, there better than pancakes. Happy pancakes day for tomorrow ;-)**_


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I have been busying doing essay this last week, that why I didn't get a chance to post this chapter. I tried to post this chapter the other day but ff is not working, so thankd to for the trick to post. I'm thrilled with all the new readers, welcome. Even though they are loads of reader, not many of you are reviewing. As a writer your review allows me to understand if you are enjoying the story and how I am doing as a writer. So please review.**

**A couple of people mentioned that they were confused about Heidi. Heidi owns the restaurant that Edward and Anthony go to everyweek. I did not mean to use Heidi's name again as Bella's old neighbour, so thank you for pointed that out to me. I have gone back and changed Bella's neighbour's name to Senna.**

**I do not own Twilight. Just Speak, so do not copy.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 7

Edward

I woke up to my phone ringing; a quick look at the clock told me that I had over slept.

"Shit!" I yelled, startled and almost knocking Anthony off the bed. I had forgetting that he was next to me. My phone started ringing again. I thought it would be my mother wonder where her grandson was, so I was surprised to see Emmett name flash across the screen.

"Hey, Em," I yawned.

"Hey bro, are you just still in bed? Don't you have work today?" I creped slowly out of my room letting Anthony sleep a little longer.

"Yeah I over slept, what's up Em?"

"I was wondering if I could have Anthony for the day. I was gonna take him and Leah out to Port Angeles." I smiled, Anthony would love to spend the day with Leah, but then my thoughts drifted to Bella. What she be okay with that?

"Sure, is Bella okay with that though?" I asked hesitantly. Emmett just give me one of his trademark belly laugh giving me a headache already.

"Don't worry about Bells, she'll be cool." I was just about to ask him if he was sure when there was a knock at the door.

"Hang on, Em?" I asked only to be greeted by his dimpled face when I opened the door.

"Morning Eddie." He smiled. Argh how can someone so cheery this early in the day I mumbled to myself while Emmett made his way through my door and straight to Anthony's room. I didn't say anything because I knew he wasn't there. However I did not except him to come into my kitchen five minutes later with my son attached to his hip.

"Emmett can't you leave him a bit longer?" My son can be very grumpy in the mornings.

"Nope, I'm sure he's just as excited to spend the day with Leah as I am," He smirked, cocking his head to the side.

I watched Anthony face light up. "Really?" He asked groggily.

"Yep, so the quicker you get dressed, the quicker we can get there." I chuckled as I watched his little legs disappearing from my kitchen.

I took a deep sigh, "You sure Bella will okay with this, after what happened yesterday she may not want Anthony around Leah." A horrible thought clouded my brain, what if she didn't want me to see Leah again.

"Edward," He placed one of his giant paws on my shoulder, "stop worrying okay, Bells will be fine with it, I promise." I just nodded my head at him, still not believing him, but hoping he was right.

A few minutes later, Anthony dragged his feet back into the kitchen, his eyes hooded with sleep. My heart went out for him; I just gave him a sympatric smile.

"Ready to go, champ?" Emmett bombed, his voice echoing in our quiet kitchen. I'm not a morning person and neither is my son. We enjoy a quiet simple mornings with only the TV for background noise.

On mornings that I had to work, my mom would come over to watch Anthony for the day. I would leave him to sleep until about half an hour before I had to leave. We would spend that time quietly eating breakfast, only discussing what we had planned for that day and even that, was a struggle. There was nothing usual or uncomfortable about it. We Cullen boys just like to wake slowly and quietly. Emmett on the other hand, was an all-day person. He was energetic, morning, noon and night, putting most kids to shame. The other person that could keep with him was my sister Alice; the Cullen women were the opposite from the men. There started the day, as soon as the sun rose and were always the last to bed.

Anthony climbed back up on Emmett's hip and wrapped his arms around his neck, resting his head down, trying to go back to sleep.

"I'll call you when I'm finished so I know where you pick him up."

"Sure." Was the only answer I received back.

"Have fun Ant, be good for uncle Em and Leah." I moved towards him and kissed his forehead, just like I do every morning.

"Bye, Daddy, Love you." He whispered a smile spread across face.

"Love you too." I yelled as they left the house.

I skipped breakfast, quickly showered, shaved and made it to way to work within 20 minutes. I was praying that I would be able to catch the Chief and talk to him about my training course next week, before he was called on his daily duties.

"Hey Harry, Is Charlie in yet?" I asked him. Harry was one of the oldest officers in Forks. He has lived here all his life. He has been married for almost forty years and has three children and five beautiful grandchildren. He was the deputy chief for fifteen years until he diagnosed with Parkinson Disease last year. Charlie still wanted him to keep his position, but Harry refused, he argued that he was too old and too wise to put his life in danger everyday. I always chuckled when he would say that to me. The danger rate in Forks is very small, nothing dangerous or exciting ever happens here. It's one of the reason I love bringing my son up in this town.

"Sorry kid, he's not due in till this afternoon." I nodded my head in thanks to him while he answered the telephone. Harry decided that he still wanted to work, so he has been working in the office; doing paperwork and handling our phone calls ever since.

"I'm gonna do a quick run around and get some breakfast, tell Mike he still has to do his paperwork from Monday?" I told one of the other officers working. This was my plot to keep Mike busy this morning, so I could have my breakfast in peace. I liked Mike, but having to work with him all day, was not my idea of fun. Thank god Emmett is back on Monday.

I made my way to the Diner; I decided to have my breakfast first before I went into full cop mode, as Emmett likes to call it. The Diner was an old run down café that made the best pancakes in town. They are not as good as my mom's, but they are close.

I pulled the cruiser into the drive and noticed Emmett pull up with Bella and the kids. I dunk down in my car so that they wouldn't see me. When Bella got out of the car, I swear my heart stopped, just for a second. She was wearing jeans again today and a plain purple top matched with a black leather jacket.

"Fuck," I mumbled loudly, almost shooting my load in my pants. This girl is going to be the death of me. I have never been so turn on by someone wearing such simple clothes. The leather jacket doesn't help me much; it makes her looks hot, very hot.

I watched her help my son out of car and walk into the Diner holding his hand. Anthony looked very comfortable with her. If I was to be honest, the scene looked very natural to me. I looked like a mother taken care of her son. Again a small ache appeared in my heart.

Anthony has never had a mother, he's never met Jane. I worry sometime that I'm not doing the right thing, keeping him away from her. He has never mentioned her to me, never asked where she was or why he doesn't see her. I know that one day he will want to about her. I have a feeling that it will very soon, now that Bella and Leah are around. He'll want a mother, how could he not. I pray that he won't hate me for not keeping his own mother around for the last five years.

I shook my head and made my way into the Diner. I was not going to dwell on the past. I had made my decision and I would deal with whatever the consequences will be.

Emmett spots me straight away, a mischief grin on his face. I make my way over to his table, hoping to see Leah for a few minutes. When I heard Anthony asking Bella if he can have pancakes, I used this as my cue to make my appearance.

"Can you make that three pancakes please, Jessica?" I asked. Bella turned to look at me, catching my eye straight away. The butterflies were swirling in my stomach and my body begins to shake with nervousness. I was once again got lost in those beautiful brown eyes.

"Daddy," Anthony squeaked, breaking my intense eye glazing with Bella.

"Hey buddy, you look more awake now." He was bouncing on his seat, sitting next to Bella. I felt a tug somewhere within me when I looked at them; he was looking up at Bella in amazement. I pushed the feeling away and turned to find the girl that has captured my heart in the last 24hrs.

"Good morning, Princess." I smiled at her angelic face, watching her eyes carefully. After everything Emmett told me last night and the shock from yesterday was over. I was worried that she would be scared of me or uncomfortable in my presence. Her smile was enough to ease my worries and I found that I wanted to hug her. I wanted her to sit on my lap, where I could protect her, take care of her and make sure that no one ever hurt her again.

"Daddy, are you sitting with us?" Anthony asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I hope so, son.

"If that's okay with you guys?" I smiled nervously. I looked at Bella. Please say yes, don't make me walk away from the one place I want to be right now.

"Bella?" I begged. Please say yes.

"What, oh yeah of course." She blushed and turned her head away from me. I quickly clasped my hand tighter in front of my legs, hoping to hide, my now very hard, hard on, that her blush created. I had a feeling that blush will be appearing in my dreams later tonight.

I was just about to sit down when Bella moved away from my son and sat down next to Leah. My chest grew tight, like all my air was being squeezed from my body. She still didn't want me near her daughter. I tried to hide the pain from my face. She didn't need to feel guilty for protecting her daughter. But I don't think I masked my emotions as well as I hoped as Emmett gave me a sympatric look.

We made small talk about their plans for the day and I learned that Bella was a photographer. I filed the information away for later; maybe I could get her to do some photos of Anthony for me. It would give me an excuse to talk to her alone and I knew Anthony was comfortable around her.

Emmett teased her about their high school years, causing her to blush again. I wondered if she blushed everywhere on her body. I quickly changed the direction of my thoughts before I would have to excuse myself for the bathroom. Fuck I was screwed; this woman did things to my body with just a simple glance. Maybe it would be safer to stay away from her, before I find myself trying to hump her leg like a fucking dog.

When the food arrived we eat mostly in silently expect from Anthony's food noises. I kept stealing quick glazes at Bella and Leah. Leah would catch me every time, causing a permanent grin to stay on my face. This felt natural to me, like we all had been doing this for years.

Anthony started a conversation with Bella about pancakes. I smiled with pride when started to brag about my pancakes. I looked up at Bella; she looked so relaxed and happy. Her eyes glowing with something I didn't recognize and a wide smile on her face. I felt relaxed for the first time in her presence.

I decided I wanted to see if I could make Bella blush one more time before I went to work and Anthony gave me the prefect option.

"I will," He nodded and continued. "You have to treat Bella like the angel she is, okay daddy."

I looked Bella straight into the eye and said nice and slow. "Of course, buddy." A little flirting won't hurt, and aww, there's the blush I'm growing to love.

Emmett coughed loudly, pulling me away from Bella's face. He raised an eyebrow in question, which I shrugged off.

"Excuse us," Bella announced as stood up to allow Leah passed her.

"Daddy? Do you think we can go to the beach on Sunday?" Anthony asked.

"I think that can be arranged."

"Can Bella and Leah come?" He asked, his eyes pleading. I was just about to answer him when I heard her cry out in pain. My body moved instantly and I was next to my princess in seconds. My heart broke at her tear stained face.

"Are you okay Princess?" My heart was telling me to check her over and cradled her to my chest. But my head was telling to take things slow and be gentle. My head won when I saw the pain in Bella's eyes.

"I think she's just bruised her elbow," Bella commented, her voice almost broke at the end.

"Can I see?" I pleaded. I watched different emotions flash across her eyes, anger, disappointed and then trust, it was faint but I could see it there, underneath her fears.

I gentle checked Leah over, settling my own worries when I realised that she had only bruised herself. "Your mom very smart," I whispered making her smile. I turned to Bella to find blushing again.

I made my way back to our table as the girls headed for the bathroom. Anthony had moved over to sit beside Emmett so that they watch what had happened to Leah.

"Is Leah okay, daddy?" he whispered.

"Yeah, she just bruised her elbow, she'll be fine squirt."

"Good." He sighed in relief.

"I'm gonna go and pay, before I have to get to work." I announced.

"Sure bro, don't want you to slacking off on the job now." Emmett chuckled. I walked over to the counter shaken my head.

"Table three, please, Jessica,"

"That's $13.48 please." She twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers while looking up at me. "There's a party on Saturday night, you should come with me."

"Thanks, but I'm taking my son to the beach on Sunday, so I'll pass." I tried to answer politely. Jessica was a nice girl; she was never rude to me or Anthony. But she wasn't someone I could see myself with and right now, there was only one woman that I would consider dating.

"You can still go out on Saturday; I can think of others things to do without drink." She ran her hand down my arm, making me want to take other shower.

"No, thanks," I repeated, moving away from her as quick I as I could only to be stopped dead by my favourite pair of brown eyes. I had the sudden urge to kiss her, her eyes were calling to me, tying a rope around my body, pulling it closer to her. I felt my body sway towards her, my eyes still searching hers. How the hell is she doing this to me, it's like my brain can't function whenever I get close to her.

Man up Cullen, stop acting like a pussy.

"I just paid the bill, I hope you don't mind." God, I should just hand over my balls to her now.

"Sure," She mumbled, her eyes moved up to my hair. She had strange look on her face.

"You okay?" I asked. She was still staring at my hair, than she blushed which made me smirk.

"Em, yeah."

I started moving to our table, remembering that I had to get back to work. Work was the last place I wanted to be right now. I wanted to stay here and maybe get Bella to open up to me a little more.

"Edward?" She yelled sweetly, causing my cock to twitch.

"Yeah," I answered looking back at her; she wrapped her arms around her waist, protecting herself. She appeared younger than her age, her face reflected innocence and fear.

I frowned at how uncomfortable she suddenly was around me.

"I'm sorry, you know, the thing with Leah yesterday." I wanted to talk about it with her, but not here in a crowd diner.

"It's alright,"

"No, it's not; I should never have accused you of…" I quickly cut in.

" Bella, I'm sorry, I have to get back to work," It was the truth, I did have to get back. But I was really uncomfortable talking about something so private in front of other people. "But I would like to apologize to you myself, properly, I should have brought her straight home and …" Great now I was spilling my guts in public.

"What time to you get off, I can cook for us and we can talk tonight?" She asked.

I couldn't contain the rush of excitement that raced around my body, she just asked me to dinner. Yeah I'm totally a pussy today.

"I would really like that. Can Anthony come?" He would kill if I didn't take me with me.

She laughed at me, a warm tingling laugh; it was like music to my ears.

"Of course, actually if it's okay with you," She started pulling her hair. I got the feeling she was nervous, which was making me feel nervous. "I can take him when he gets back from Port Angeles until you finish.

I smiled to myself. If I wanted her to trust me with her daughter, than it was only fair that I trust her with my son. However the main difference was that I trusted her completely. I may have only just met her, but my gut tells me that this woman would never do anything to hurt us. It also helps that I know her father really well.

"Sure, if he wants too."

I alright knew the answer but Anthony conformed my thought by yelling, " I do, daddy, I wanna stay with Bella."

Emmett winked at me silently giving me his approval.

"Alright, I finish at five, so I guess I'll see you then." I made my way back to the table.

"You be good for Emmett and Bella." I smiled; Anthony just nodded his head at me. I learn over his head, "I'll see you after Princess." And without thinking, I kissed her head as if I did it every day. I stole a quick peek at Bella praying that she wasn't going to yell at me again. I think my body has no control when I'm around the Swan girls.

My body relaxed when Bella just smiled at me, blushing when I caught her eye again. I quickly said goodbye to everyone and made my way back to the car feeling quite content. Now I just have to get rid of the tent in my trousers and my morning would be prefect.

XXX

The rest of the morning went very slow. I did a quick drive round the town, keeping an eye out for any trouble and attended a fight at the local High School between two seniors. I practical raced back to the station after picking up my lunch from the Subway. I had to catch Charlie before he gets called away this afternoon.

"Hey Harry, Charlie in yet?" I asked as I walked into the station.

"In the office," he answered with a grunt. Wonder what's changed his mood from this morning.

"Hey Edward, I …" I heard in my right ear.

"Not right now, Mike, I have to talk to the Chief." I swatted him away like a fly.

I knocked quietly on his door. Charlie was the only person who had an office to himself, everyone else's desk were in the main room side by side. When I first started working here I hated it. I wanted my own room, my own privatise. But now I enjoyed working beside the other officers here. We had a good team here, the boys were fun and the girls didn't try to hit on me. My desk was next to Emmett and there was never a dull moment when Emmett was around. I enjoyed my job, but I wouldn't say it was my lives passion.

"Come in."

Charlie gave me a small smile when I entered his office. He extended his arm for me to sit, which I did eagerly.

"I had a feeling you would wanting to talk to me," He took a deep sigh, cocked his head to the side and started fiddling with the paper in front of me. "I'm sorry for the way that Bella acted …"

He thought I wanted to talk about Bella. I wanted to laugh loudly at him, but I knew that he would not be grateful for that, so I cut him off instead.

"Chief, I'm not here to talk about Bella."

"Oh, alright, what can I do for you son?" His moustache twitched, drawing my attention to his face.

"I wanted to talk to you about the training course next week; I can't leave Anthony for a whole week Chief." I stressed, the thought alone was causing me anxiety.

"Edward, I get that, I do, but you have to do this course. With all the robberies happening in Seattle, we have to make sure we know what to do if it happens here." Charlie leaned back on his chair. I could see how much Bella looked like him, with her eyes and hair. "And I think your son needs you for the long run, I'm sure he'll manage a week without you."

"That's not fair Chief," I stood up, anger seeping from me. "How would you feel in my position? I don't have a wife who can look after him; he's never been away from me longer than a night. I can't just abandon him for a whole week and I'm not missing his first day at school." I stopped the pacing I had started; I took a deep sign and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to control my frustration.

"He's starting school this week?" My head shot up, his head was looking out the window, a distant look on his face.

"Yeah, he starts on Tuesday." I answered.

He nodded his head slowly; I can see an invisible clock turning at the side of head. I held my breath in hope.

"So does Leah." He whispered so low I was not sure if I was meant to hear him.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do, but your gonna have to do something Edward, I know how hard being a single parent is. I am one myself and my daughter is one also. I suggest that you start talking to him, start taking longer breaks from him." He rambled.

I sat back in my chair and breathed a sigh of relief. "I know I was thinking about talking to my mom, maybe he could stay with for a weekend and then make it a few times a week."

"I think that's a good idea. I know it's not easy on you, Edward."

"Thanks Chief." I got up to leave.

"Edward, Thank you," He paused for a second, gathering his thoughts, "for taking care of my granddaughter." His eyes were glazed with tears; I hadn't thought about how hard Leah's kidnapping must have been on him. He was here, miles away from them, leaving them unprotected. Not only was he carrying the guilt of a cop, but also as a father and grandfather.

"She's amazing." I smiled thinking of her munching on her pancakes this morning.

"Yeah, she is. Did, did, did she talked to you at all?" He stuttered, which was very unusually for Charlie. He's voice was always clear and strong.

I thought for a minute. Leah didn't say anything to me. I had noticed that when she playing the piano, but she didn't say anything this morning either. When she wanted to go to the bathroom, she tugged on Bella's top. But I don't remember ever hearing her voice.

"No, she didn't. She didn't speak this morning either." I answered.

"This morning?" He asked in confusing.

"Yeah, I bumped into all of them at the Diner," I answered.

"All of them?"

"Yeah, Leah, Bella, Ants and Em."

He chuckled heartily. "Good, good." He nodded. I'm not sure what he found funny, but I quickly said my thanks and made an excuse to get back to work.

I spent the rest of the afternoon filling out paperwork and ignoring Mike's latest conquest story. I never had any respect for men that can treat women that way, even in college, I didn't sleep around.

Before I knew it, it was five o'clock and I have never been so eager to get home before.

"See ya tomorrow Harry." I yelled, throwing my hand in the air. He raised his hand back at me, but not looking my way. Guess he's not in bad mood any more.

The air was chilly, creating Goosebumps on my face. I took a whiff of the air. It was damp, moist and musky, everything I loved about Forks.

I climbed in my car, - leaving the cruiser behind for the next guy to use- and made my way home. I was unsure if I should go home, shower and change or just head straight to Bella's.

Going straight to her house won as found myself knocking on the door.

Bella answered the door within seconds, her smile lit up her whole face and she looked happy to me. I wanted her to be happy to see me.

"Hey." My eyes caught Bella's and I got lost in her intense stare for the hundredth time today.

"Hey." She whispered back, opening the door for me to come in.

"Daddy, your home." Anthony squealed as I entered. I didn't get far as I was almost knocked over by two little bodies wresting me to the ground.

"There's my two favourite munckins." Bella giggled, I looked at her, standing watching our children with nothing but contentment and love.

Anthony pulled on my jacket, "Daddy, come play with us?"

"Do you need help with dinner?" I asked her conflicted, I want to help her, but I also wanted to spend time with the kids together while I had the chance.

"Nope, go play." She giggled.

"Good, because I can feel the tickle monster fighting to get out." I yelled raising my arms in the air, trying to create my best monster face.

"Ahh, run Leah, run" Anthony yelled loudly. I looked at Bella's face and winked at her, before chasing two giggling monsters down the hall.

**XXX**

**What do you think? Please review. Update will be next Monday,the 28****th****. Maybe if the reviews are good, I might update earlier ;-)**


	9. Chapter 8 new chapter

_**Hey guys, I know I'm late, I'm so sorry but things have been so crazy right now. I have coursework due for uni, so the next chapter will not up for two weeks. **_

_**I do not own twilight, but I do own Speak , so no copying.**_

_**Huges thanks to my beta, cedward2417 for her amazing skills. She even went back and edited all the others chapter. Huge thanks to everyone who has waiting months for the chapter, thank you for all your patience and understanding. **_

_**For those are reading Please Remember Me, an update will be either end of week or start of next.**_

_**Here's the chapter most people have been waiting for. Finally find out who Bella bumped into.**_

_With another fake smile and a massive headache, I finally left her office; breathing in the clean fresh air deeply, and started to make my way to my studio, when a familiar voice called out my name._

_I turned to the voice and froze in complete shock. What was he doing here?_

_He gave me a toothy smile, the light shining on his blonde hair making him sparkle._

"_Good to see you again, Bella."_

XXX

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

BELLA

"Jasper," I gasped, throwing my arms around him. "What are you doing here?"

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, his back hunched over, and arms wrapped tightly around me.

"Aww, I missed you too much," he chuckled. I raised my eyebrow at him in disbelief. "It's a long story, Bells." His voice was no longer playful.

I was just about to ask him for details, when Victoria gave us a loud cough. I pulled away from Jasper and stole a look at Victoria. She did not look happy. Her eyes held disgust, and her lips were in a tight straight line. _I wondered what her problem is._

My train of thought was broken by Jasper's breath, as it fanned across my cheek. I hadn't realized that he had leaned towards me. "I'll call later, Darlin," he whispered, as his eyes danced with amusement. I nodded my head while I pulled my body away from his.

"Can you make it late? Once Leah's in bed and -"

"Of course," he cut me off.

"Alright. Bye, Victoria." She gave a small wave. She turned her back to me, walked straight into her office, and left the door open for Jasper. I didn't understand Victoria's sudden dislike towards me, but it was not that important right now. I had a new studio to check out.

The studio was amazing, the walls were plain and white- which would allow me the freedom to be as creative as I wanted- and it also had a huge window that would let in lots of natural light. I looked at the ceiling and was thankful for all the spot lights that flowed along- even with the giant window, the room would still be dull because of all the grey clouds and rain in this city.

There were about ten tables for the students to work on; they were all spread out around the room, creating lots of space between each table. I smiled to myself; this would allow my students more freedom to explore their talents without climbing on top of each other.

I noticed my desk at the end of the studio, right in front of another window. If I lived in Phoenix, I would have been looking into sunshine every day, but somehow, all the green trees gave me a sense of calm and belonging- like this is where I was meant to be, this was where I belonged.

The desk itself was more than I could have ever dreamed off. It was a large white desk, with three drawers on each side, and a super large leather chair. What surprised me the most was the shiny black new desktop computer on the desk? How did I get so lucky with this job? How the hell did a small school like this afford a new studio anyway?

I have never worked for a high school that had its own photography department. At my old job, I shared a classroom with another teacher- my part of the course only lasted for twelve weeks. So for the rest of the term, I worked as an assistant to the art teachers whenever they needed anyone.

I wished Forks High had this department when I was here. At least they would have it for Leah and Anthony to enjoy when they started here. The thought of them in high school scared the hell out of me; I was already panicked at the thought of Leah starting kindergarten next week, never mind high school.

I walked around my new studio. Everything was new; there was no smell of chemicals or paint that I have grown to love over the years. The studio looked like it had never been worked in. Is it possible that it has never been used? That I'm the first person to have worked here? I wanted to jump up and down like a pre-teen girl at a Bieber concert.

In the middle of the studio, there was a door. It was black with a large sign. I knew that this door lead to the darkroom. If the color of the door was not enough to make the door stand out, the huge light above it gave it away.

I walked over to read the sign on the door: _DO NOT OPEN door when the light is RED._

I opened the door and searched for the light switch. I could smell the metal from all the machines. My heart raced with excitement when I finally found the switch. The room was smaller than the studio, but bigger than my last darkroom. On one of the sides of the darkroom, there were two sinks next to each other. Above them were some shelves with sponges, clothes, and some cleaning products. Under the sinks there were cupboards with locks on them- I guessed that all the chemicals would be locked away for health and safety. Next to the sinks, along the side of the room, was a long worktop that ran to the other end of the room. I walked over to the enlarger- checking out the equipment that the school has gotten. Everything looked new, as if it had never been touched. I would have to ask Victoria if she replaced all the old stuff later.

There was a small cupboard against the wall at the end of the worktops; I opened it to find that it was full of different sizes and types of paper. There were also four pieces of string that went from the one side of the wall, across to the other side. I made my way out of the darkroom. I've always dreamed of having my own studio. I may not have had one in my house; but this studio, right here, where I was standing, was mine. There was no other teacher that would use this room- they all had their own classrooms.

I walked out of my studio with a huge smile on my face; everything had slowly come together. As I walked out through the Forks High School car park, I spotted Jasper's car. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here, and why he had a meeting with Victoria?

I met Jasper a few days after I met Rose. Rosalie thought it was good idea to go to a college party and meet some new people.

_October 2002 _

"_You can open your eyes now, Bella," Rosalie's honey voice stated. I hesitated for a minute. I had spent the last two hours having 'girl time' as Rose called it. It was really just me sitting in a chair while Rose did my hair, nails, and make-up. _

_This was my first college party. I had been to a few parties over the years, but this was my first one away from my hometown. I was excited to experience my first real taste of adult freedom, and Jake promised that he wouldn't leave my side all night._

_I looked into the mirror and couldn't believe the woman that was staring back at me. My hair was down and poker straight- unlike my natural waves- my brown eyes were shining bright from the green eye shadow and dark mascara. My skin glowed instead of showing its usual plain pale white, and my lips were full and kissable. _

"_I told you that you're hot, Bella. You just have to believe me," Rose chimed while she did her own hair. _

"_I'm going to go and find Jake." _

_I wondered if he would like my new look. I don't normally where make-up around the house; and Jake has known me my whole life, so dressing up was never something I was good at. Maybe now that I have a female friend – instead of the boys I hung out with back home- I could learn to be more feminine. _

_I made my way down stairs and could hear mumbling in the kitchen. I don't remember hearing the doorbell ring. _

"_Jake," I yelled. _

"_In the kitchen," his deep, shallow voice answered. "Hey, Bells? Do you know where the bottle opener went?"_

_I walked into the kitchen, my heels clicking on the tilted floor. A tall man was leaning against the fridge. His hair was blonde and wavy, his eyes a sea salt blue, and a smile that could melt any heart. It was a shame I was taken. _

"_Um, hi," I mumbled. _

"_Oh, hi." The man held out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Jasper, Rosalie's brother." His voice had a tangy southern accent. Yep, such a shame! _

"_I'm, Bella," I answered. He kissed my hand while he looked straight into my eyes. _

"_It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella."_

"_Dude, stop hitting on my girlfriend," Jake growled. _

_Jasper just laughed while I blushed. I was thankful that I had an easy going relationship. Jacob didn't get jealous over guys; he trusted me and trusted him. I loved how easy our life was together. "Is everyone ready? We should get going if we want to get there on time," Jasper explained. _

"_Sure, sure," Jacob replied. He walked over to me and wrapped his massive arms around my waist. "You ready, Babe?" He leaned in and kissed my shoulder. _

"_You look amazing," he whispered in my ear before he pulled away and ran his hands over my purple bubble dress. _

"_Thank you," I blushed._

_Rose made her way down the stairs. She was wearing a tight red dress, and her blonde hair bounced with curls. _

"_Guys, let's go. Royce is just meeting us there," Rosalie announced. I noticed Jasper glared at her; he mumbled something under his breath. _

"_Come on, Babe," Jacob held out his hand for me, which drew my attention away from Jasper._

I was pulled out of my trip down memory lane by my phone ringing. I laughed at the ringtone of Daughtry's _Home _blasting through the car.

"Hey, Em."

"Hey, Bells. Where are you?" I could hear Anthony's voice in the background, giggling at something.

"I'm on my way to the grocery store before I head home. Where are you guys?"

"Just outside of Forks, what store are you going too?"

"Mac's."

"We'll meet there," he answered and then the phone went dead. I took a deep breath as I pulled into Mac's grocery store. A sense of excitement flowed through me. It was just an 'I'm sorry dinner,' nothing else.

I wondered what Edward's favorite food was? Or, Anthony's- maybe I should ask him when he gets here?

I walked up and down each aisle and grabbed everything we needed. I stopped at the DVD's, I haven't watched a film for months. I couldn't even remember the last time I bought one. Guilt swiped through me. I couldn't remember the last time I bought Leah a film. She loved films, especially Disney's films. _Dumbo_ was her favorite- Emmett bought her a Dumbo stuffed animal for her third birthday. The Dumbo was taller than her- it had large opened ears and a little mouse on his head. I made a promise to myself to look for that elephant later tonight. I knew it was in one of the bags somewhere.

I grabbed a hand full of DVD's for Leah and myself. Maybe we could watch one on our new oversized flat screen TV that Emmett hung on my living room wall. He'd better not think he's going to be watching sports on my TV all the time. It was going to be bad enough trying to get my dad away from it when he's over.

"BELLA."

I turned to see who the squealing belonged too, but no-one stood out.

"BEELLLA."

_Thud_

Anthony speed into my legs, which caused me to lose my balance, and land my clumsy ass on the ground, pulling Anthony with me.

"Shit, are you okay?" I asked.

"Bella," his sweet voice rang out. I opened my eyes to find Anthony's face inches from mine.

"Sorry, Bella," he frowned.

"It's okay, Sweetie," I smiled to reassure him. Emmett's loud booming laugher echoed in my ear. I slowly dragged my body up off the ground, along with Anthony's, and turned to my traitor best friend. Leah was hanging from his back, all arms and legs, hiding her giggles into his shoulder.

"Alright, let's get out of here, please, before something else happens," I announced.

Three bobbing heads were my answer.

"Oh, _Cars_? Yes! I love that film. Have you watched it?" Anthony asked Leah, his face alit with excitement.

"It's really good; maybe Bella will let us watch it later?" He looked up at me, hoping for an answer.

"You can maybe watch it after dinner, if it's okay with your dad," I answered, while I glared at Emmett as he threw random snacks into my cart.

"Yeah," Anthony almost yelled and did a fist pump in the air. "Daddy will be cool with it. He likes that film too."

"Anthony? Do you and your dad like lasagna?"

"Yep, that's daddy favorite," He smiled.

"Really, it's Leah too." I looked at Leah. Her face was unreadable as she watched Anthony. I looked back at Anthony as he watched me. I wished for the hundredth time that I could read Leah's mind. She didn't look upset, but she didn't look happy either.

"Leah?" I called. Her big doe eyes glanced at me. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her head and turned away from us. Her actions confused me. I thought she liked Anthony.

"Bella? You finished here?" Emmett asked.

"Eh, yeah, let's go."

We quickly loaded the food at the checkout. I could see Leah and Anthony chasing each other in the corner of the store. I could also see the look of disgust that a few older women were giving me, but I was not going to say anything to them. They were not in anyone's way, they were not making lots of noise, and they had huge goofy smiles on their faces. I was not taking that away from them. They were just two five year old children having fun, and with everything that has happened, that was all I wanted for them right now.

"Bells? Look?" Emmett whispered urgently, while tugging at my jacket.

I lifted my head to see what he was so interested in and felt my whole body vibrate. Anthony was standing in front of Leah. Her face was red and his small hands were clenched tightly. He looked like he was ready to beat someone up. I moved to get closer to them.

"Don't," Emmett said as he grabbed my arm, "just wait a second. He won't do anything."

I hesitated. What was wrong with him? I had never seen Anthony look so… angry.

"Would you like help with your packing?" The sales woman asked us.

"Nah, we'll do it." I heard Emmett answer her. I was still watching Anthony.

"Emmett, what's he doing?" I asked, turning my back slightly so that I could still see the kids while I packed.

"Riley's here."

"Who's Riley?"

"He's a little boy that stays next to Edward sister's place. He and Anthony don't get along very well," he shrugged.

"Oh, why not?" I couldn't understand how anyone didn't like Anthony. He was such a sweetheart.

"Don't know, Anthony won't say what happened."

I looked back at the kids and Anthony was talking about something, while he looked off somewhere. I guessed he was looking at Riley as he talked. Leah was still behind, listening to him. She didn't look upset, curious maybe. Damn, why was my daughter so hard to read?

I paid for my groceries while Emmett grabbed the kids. The ride to the house was quiet. My brain was still trying to understand everything that has happened over the last few days. Leah and Anthony had both fell asleep on the drive to the house, so Emmett carried them in, and placed Leah in her bed and Anthony in mine. I brought in the grocery bags and unpacked everything.

"Hey Bells, I'm going to go."

"What, are not you staying for dinner? I'm making lasagna." He leaned against the door frame; I was worried that his hulk style muscles were going to break my door frame.

"Nah, I have a few things to do. Besides I don't want to get in the way of you and Eddie's date," He smirked, dimples and all.

"It's not date, it's an 'I'm sorry dinner'," I mumbled. I could feel the heat on my face from the embarrassment.

"I'm sorry; I wanna get in your pants dinner," he laughed lightly.

"Emmett! You're being ridiculous." I started grabbing everything I needed from the cupboards. I refused to let my mind wonder to the things I wanted to do to Edward this morning- his muscular jaw that I wanted to lick, the sex hair that I wanted to pull and tug, while his pink pouty lips sucked on my … Oh god.

"I saw the way you were looking at him this morning, all red and horny." I ducked behind the breakfast bar, pretending to look for something.

"Don't try and hide from me, Bella. I know you, remember? You have the hots for our Eddie boy."

"I do not."

"You do too."

"Well, you know that my first priority at the moment is Leah. I'm not interested in any guy right now."

"I know, Honey. But you never know what may happen," he chuckled. I could hear his thuds all the way to door. When I heard the engine of his car, I released my breath and finally stood up.

I spent the next half hour preparing dinner. I hummed to myself as I danced around my new kitchen. I had only been in this house for two days, one night, and I felt like I've lived here all my life. If I was being honest, it felt like home, more than any house I had in Phoenix.

I loved Phoenix, I really did. But it was never home, it was just temporary for us. Jacob liked living there more than I did. I had always planned to move back to Forks when I finished college. But I also knew that Jacob had planned his life in Phoenix. It was still hard to believe that he was not here. Now that we were back in Forks, I felt like he was closer to me. It was like we were both finally where we belonged, and, for the second time today, I realized that I found some comfort in that idea.

"DAADDYY!" A high pitched cry wailed out.

"Anthony," I hollered, as I raced out of the kitchen. I found him, standing in the hall, with his beautiful face wet from tears. His arms were wrapped around his body in fear.

"Beella?" He sobbed.

"Oh, Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I scooped his tiny body up in my arms and walked back into the kitchen.

"I… woke up… and I… didn't know… where I was… and I… couldn't find… my Daddy," he choked out in between his sobs. His body jumping slightly when as he hiccupped.

"Shh, you're okay. You fell asleep in the car, so Uncle Em put you in my bed." I wiped his tears and kissed his head. I thought about Anthony's reaction and noticed that Leah had been quite content within this house. After she was kidnapped, I spent months trying to get her to feel safe in Rose's house. She would refuse to sleep in any other bed but mine. She would never stay in a room by herself or with anyone else, but me. But for the past two nights, she has slept by herself, in her own room, and she never screamed once. If fact, she has woken up peacefully.

"I was thinking of making chocolate cupcakes for after dinner. Do you want help me make them?" I asked.

"Mmhmm, I love cupcakes." His hiccups slowed down and a genuine smile replaced his scared face.

"Great, Leah's still asleep, so it's just us two, Buddy." The boy killed with his cuteness as his eyes lit up with excitement. I wondered how much time he spent with his mom. I knew that she didn't live with them, but Emmett has never actually mentioned anything about her.

"Alright, why don't you go and wash your hands, and I'll get all the stuff ready?"

Anthony didn't answer me, but instead ran out my arms and headed for the bathroom. I tried to ignore the slight empty feeling I got after he left me.

I spent the next hour making cupcakes with Anthony, until Leah woke up, and they disappeared in Leah's room to play.

The doorbell rang as I put the lasagna in the oven. I knew who it was; I had spent all afternoon checking the time every five minutes. Why was I so nervous? He was only the most gorgeous man I've ever seen- whom I accused of kidnapping my daughter- and has the most adorable little boy.

I quickly opened the door. Did I mention that he looks unbelievably hot in his police uniform- with his sex hair and crooked smile? Fuck.

"Hey," he whispered, his eyes caught mine.

"Hey," I opened the door for him. I heard Anthony before I saw them.

"Daddy! You're home," he squeaked.

_Home?_

Leah followed Anthony, hugging Edward's legs.

"There are my two favorite munchkins," Edward hunched his body and wrapped his arms around them.

"Daddy. Come play with us?" Anthony asked him.

"Do you need help with dinner?" He asked. I could see him in conflict- he battled whether to help me or play with the kids.

I smiled at him; I would never refuse anything or anyone that could give my daughter the smile she was wearing. "Nope. Go, play," I giggled.

He had a devilish smirk and a twinkle in his eye as he said, "Good, because I can feel the tickle monster fighting to get out." He lifted his arms and made a face at the kids.

I laughed as they squeaked and raced down the hall. Edward caught my eye again, winked, and ran after them- which left me breathless and in complete awe.

I quietly continued dinner and smiled at the noise of laughter and squeals coming from the room down the hall. I set the table, washed whatever dishes were not being used, and danced around to the songs that played in my head.

The buzzer binged and alerted me that dinner was ready.

"DINNER," I yelled down the hall.

"Wow, smells great in here," Edward beamed when he walked into the kitchen a few seconds later.

"Thank you," I blushed. "Where are the kids?"

"Washing up. Do you need a hand?"

"I'm good, just take a seat." I collected the salad and the vegetables and placed them on the table just in time for Anthony and Leah to take their seat.

"Daddy, I made cupcakes with Bella while Leah was sleeping."

"That sounds like fun," I heard Edward answer. I loved how much he listened to his son. He was generally interested in what he had to say and what he had been doing. I have seen some parent pretend to take an interest in their children's lives, but they mostly just nodded their heads or gave their children a 'that's great.' Edward's face lit up every time Anthony had something to say. I felt a small ping of jealously as I listened to them talk. But at the same time, I admired the easy going relationship they shared. If I thought positively, maybe I could look at their relationship as something for the future, something that maybe Leah and I could share again one day.

"Bella?" I suppressed a shiver as the sound of my name came from his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"I think something is burning."

"What!" I looked towards the oven and saw the thick clouds of grey smoke as they billowed through the gaps.

"Shit!" I gasped, pulling the oven door open. I grabbed the lasagna, the top was black, and the sauce overflowed up over and out of the dish. "It's ruined."

"No, it's just the cheese," Edward stressed. I didn't realize he had moved from the table. "It's easy to fix." I could feel his body tower over me, his scent covered me. God, he smelt good.

"How?" I shuddered.

"Can I?" He asked. I looked up at him. He smirked as I nodded.

I watched him move around my kitchen. His muscles flexed through his work shirt. When did he take off his jacket? I'm sure he was wearing one?

"Why don't you take a seat, and I'll finish this?"

My voice had decided to abandon me as I tried to answer, but no words would come out.

I sat at the table, Leah and Anthony were playing thumbs wars again.

"Wal-la!" Edward placed the lasagna – which looked perfect, no burnt parts were visible – on the table.

"Wow, it looks great. How did you do that?" I asked.

"I just took off the burnt cheese and last layer of pasta- then put more cheese on. Nothing special, you did the hard work," he winked.

"Can we have some bread, Bella?" Anthony asked.

"Of course, just help yourself to as much as you want." I watched as Anthony picked up the bowl of garlic bread and passed it Leah.

I watched Leah closely during dinner. Every time Edward spoke, Leah watched him as if he was revealing the world's greatest secrets. He would ask her something and she would smile shyly while she answered him with a nod or a shake of the head. Anthony held most of the conversation; he enlightened us with his favorite book, song, and movie. Every couple of minutes I would steal a glance at Edward, only for him to catch me staring. I had no idea why this man affected me so much. Just one smile from him, and my whole body felt like it was on fire.

"Are we having our cupcakes now?" Anthony asked.

I laughed and Edward chuckled.

"Why don't you and Leah go a pick out a DVD and I'll bring the cupcakes through after I've washed the dishes," I answered.

Edward helped me gather and wash the empty dishes. I was surprised at how comfortable and in sync we both were. We didn't speak, no words were needed.

We made ourselves comfortable on the sofa while the kids lay on the floor. I watched as talking cars filled my new giant TV.

Edward sat on one side of the couch while I sat on the other side. His eyes were on the screen while I tried unsuccessfully to stop looking at him.

"I bought some grown up films for after, if you want to watch one?" I whispered.

His forehead crinkled and he ran a hand through his sex head.

"I'd love too; I don't have work till the afternoon, so I'm in no rush," he smiled.

"Great." I turned back to the TV and wiped my sweaty hands on my trousers. I took another quick glance at him. He caught me, again. I am so screwed.

_**What do you think? What is Jasper you guessed? How do you think Edward really feels about just watching a movie. Will Bella tell Edward about her past or just tell him, she sorry.**_

_**Please, Please review. I hope that the reviews will increase now we have new chapter. It only takes a second and makes my day.**_


	10. Chapter 8 part 2

_**Hey guys, well I'm finally back with a chapter you's have been witing a while for. Sorry it took so long, i'm not oing to bore you with detail. Just want to say thank you to every reader and my beta Cedward 2417, she's been amazing.**_

_**Oh Anthony nickname came from a reader who calls her nephew that, I can't remember the name so please let me know who it was so I can credit the right person.**_

**_Song- Tooty Ta by Dr Jean and friends_**

_**I do not own Twilight, just daddyward and miniward and little story called Speak. Enjoy.**_

Bella

We spent the next hour watching Disney-Pixar's _Cars_. Most of the cupcakes were gone; and, to my surprise, it wasn't the kids that had eaten most of them. No, it was Edward. I heard him hum and moan as he chewed, and I watched him lick the icing from his lips- all of it was making my lady parts tingle. It had been years since a man had this effect on me.

"Did you like it, Bella?" Anthony asked. I looked down at him- he was on the floor, lying on his tummy, while his head rested on his hands.

"What?"

"Did you like _Cars_?" He asked again, his eyelids droopy. I looked at the television to see the credits running. I must have been so lost in my dirty thoughts about Edward that I didn't see any of the film.

"Sure, I loved it," I lied. I heard Edward snicker beside me, seeing right through me. I turned to glare at him- I just wanted to keep that smile on his son's face.

"What are you laug…," my heart stopped. I must have been so deep into my thoughts, that I hadn't noticed that my five year-old had crawled into my neighbor's lap. The sight before me was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Leah was curled up, fast asleep in Edward's lap; her head laid on his chest as he ran his fingers though her hair. She looked so content and natural with him.

"Bella?" Edward's voice whispered. I looked up at him, his eyes held nothing but worry and concern.

"Wwwhen did she, um, did she cccome to you?" I stuttered.

"Yes, I'm sorry, she just crawled up and you didn't say anything so I thought that you were okay with it, and then she fell asleep. Shit, Bella, I'm sorry, I thought you saw her. I..." he rambled, while pinching the bridge of his nose. However, I noticed that he never let Leah go through his rambling. In fact, he held her tighter, as if he was scared that I would take her away. I looked from Leah's face to Edward's eyes- I was not sure what to do. Could I trust him with my daughter? Could I stop the attachment that was forming between them? Did I really want to?

"Bella," Anthony voiced. He placed a small hand on my cheek, and I turned to see him standing in front of me. "Why are crying? Are you hurt?"

I tried to swallow down a sob as I wiped the tears from my face. "No, Honey, they're happy tears, I promise."

"Okay," he yawned, rubbing his small eyes.

"You tired, Honey? Do you want to sleep in my bed again for a little while?" I asked, focusing a smile on my face. I looked at Edward, again, he nodded and smiled at me, silently giving me permission.

"I need to take my bath," was Anthony's answer.

"Oh, okay, er, um." I was not sure what to say to that.

"It's okay, Buddy, you can have one tomorrow," Edward answered him. "You'll have to wash your face and hands though, you have icing on it," he chuckled and pointed to his face.

"If it's okay with you," I asked Edward, "he can have a bath here? I don't mind." I gave him a smile, hoping to win him over.

"I don't mind," he answered quickly; and, it was in that moment, I could see just how much he trusted me with his son. He allowed him to stay here with me all afternoon, and he never questioned or hesitated with me looking after his son. He trusted me to take care of the most important thing in his life. I have to tell him what happened- I had to explain to him why I could not return that trust, and when he knows the truth… I would just have to be thankful for the day that I've had with Anthony, and prayed that Edward would still allow Leah to see him.

"I have an idea," I announced. "Why don't we go run you a bath while your daddy puts Leah into bed?" I watched Edward's eyes widen and shock appeared on his face.

"Okay," Anthony and Edward answered as the same time.

"Okay, you know where Leah's room is?" Edward nodded in agreement. "Alright, little man, then let's go."

Anthony bounced into my bathroom, and I slowly followed his little footsteps.

"Why don't you put in some bubble bath and I'll run the water." He nodded while jumping about again, I couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you doing? Do you have Ants in your Pants?"

"I'm not Pants," he giggled.

"I never said that, however it does suit you."

"No, it doesn't. I'm Anthony," he stressed as he poured in his bubble bath. The water filled quickly while Anthony continued to dance about.

"Water's warm, jump in." He did, and splashed water everywhere.

"Aww, Pants, try keeping the water in the tub, please," I laughed.

"My name's not Pants, silly Bella, It's Anth-" A high pitched scream echoed through the house.

"BELLA!" Edward's panicked voice yelled.

"Anthony sing for me sweetheart, can you sing your favorite song very loud for me." Anthony's face filled with shock. "ANTHONY, SING."

I ran down the hall listening to his sweet voice in the background.

"A tooty ta, a tooty ta, a tooty ta ta, thumbs up.."

However, I lost his voice as soon as I entered my daughter's bedroom. Edward was sitting on the edge of her bed- Leah's legs were wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, gripping onto him while he rocked her, trying to ease her screams.

"Leah, Leah."

Edward turned to me, tears filled his eyes.

"Bella," he whispered. I knelt on her bed so that I could lean over Edward's shoulder.

"Leah, can you hear me? Shh, Honey, it's mom."

**Edward**

"Leah, can you hear me?" Bella tried to smooth Leah's cries.

My heart ached watching this angel cry out in pain. Everything was going great, and I was completely shocked when Bella said I could put Leah to bed. But if I had to be honest, the whole night felt amazing and natural. I had to remind myself so many times that this was not my house and they were not my family, but my heart was telling me otherwise. It's only been two days- two days since I met Bella, and I knew already that there was something between us. I knew my body called for her; every time she was near me, my body reacted. But for the first time in a long time, I could almost hear my heart shouting out her name. I have never believed in love at first sight, and I'm still unsure, but what I do know, is this woman has sparked something inside of me that has been gone for so long. I wanted to know her; I wanted to take care of her, I wanted to share every part of me with her, and God, Leah. I can't even form words to describe what I felt for this little girl. When she sat in my lap and curled her small body into me; I fell in love, I fell hard.

But right now, I was trying my hardest not to demand answers from Bella. What the fuck was wrong with my little girl? I would have thought that maybe she wanted Bella, not me, but she was gripping me so tightly I could feel her fingernails dig into my shoulders.

"Leah, Honey, look at me." Bella asked her, but her screams were so loud I didn't think she could her.

I decided to try something, maybe I could get her attention. I moved my hand from her waist and gently pulled her face away from my neck.

"Leah, Princess. Shh, you're okay." I looked into her watery eyes and held my eyes on her. I felt her body relax against me, her eyes showed recognition and something I didn't know.

"Leah?" Bella whispered, she was leaning over my shoulder and I could feel her body pressed into me. I tried to keep my mind on the little girl in front of me, but Bella was not making it easy on me.

"Are you, okay, Honey?"

Leah slowly nodded her head, not taking her eyes away from mine.

"BELLA, CAN I COME OUT NOW. THE WATER IS GETTING COLD," Anthony yelled from the bathroom, breaking the thick tension that had clouded over the three of us.

"I'M ON MY WAY," Bella yelled back. However, her mouth was right next to my ear and I screwed up my face and cringed at the volume of her voice. Leah giggled at my reaction, and created a warmth in my heart again.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" I mumbled and started tickling the spots I found she liked earlier.

"Alright you two, knock it off. It's bedtime." Bella was back in _mom_ _mode_. "Do you want me to get your pj's on?"

I wanted to jump up and down when Leah shook her head and pointed at me. A small smile painted on her cinnamon face.

Two minutes later and another yell from Anthony, Leah was tucked up in bed. I had noticed earlier how bare Leah's room was. I know they had just moved in, but how can she feel at home when her room didn't feel completed. Maybe I could change that for her, I could get my mom to help me create a beautiful little girl's room; with pink walls, white furniture and lots of girlie stuff. I know as soon as my little sister meets her, she will own a wardrobe fit for any princess with lots of shoes, dresses, and bags.

She looked so peaceful and so beautiful, fast asleep in her small bed. I was going to talk to Bella tonight. There wasn't going to be any Adult movie, not tonight. I wanted to know every detail about her and Leah's lives together, to know everything that my dad and Emmett had already tried to tell me. I wanted Bella to tell me, and I wanted to take it all away. All the sadness, all the hurt, all the fear; and replace it with happiness, joy, and love. Love- that was something I could give them. I knew that I had feelings towards Bella, I wasn't sure what those feelings were yet, but I knew I could love her. I could like, love her as a friend first, by getting to know her, and if these feelings grew deeper then...

And Leah, I already knew that this little girl had stolen my heart. I already loved her; the more time I spent with her, the more I fell in love with her and that wouldn't change.

"Thumbs up, elbows back, feet apart."

I could hear Anthony and Bella singing in the bathroom, so I made my way there. Anthony always sung that song, my sister taught him it a few months ago, and he has been singing it ever since.

" A tooty ta, a tooty ta, a tooty ta ta."

"Hey," I interrupted. "I'm gonna run home and get his pj's." Bella nodded her head but didn't look at me.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She still wouldn't look at me. I found myself getting a little frustrated- I wanted to see her beautiful face. Instead, I sighed and left the house.

I quickly grabbed Anthony's pj's, a robe, and a bottle of wine- then ran back to Bella. I didn't bother knocking- she knew I was coming back.

"Here," I handed her the wine. "Why don't you open that and I'll put Ants to bed," I suggested. Bella took the bottle from me, but avoided making any eye contact. I quietly followed Anthony into Bella's bedroom, every room looked the same right now; bare and full of boxes. Well except the living room.

"Is Leah okay?" Anthony asked while he crawled up the bed.

"It was just a bad dream buddy, she's fine."

I pulled the covers over his small body and kissed his head.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't let the bad man get Leah?" Anthony asked- his voice shallow and his bottom lip was quivering a little.

I knelt in front of the bed and looked my son in the eyes, and prayed that I would never have to break this promise.

"I won't let anyone take_ you_ or _Leah _away from us," I promised.

"That's what I told her," he answered with a small smile and sleepy eyes. _Who did he tell? Leah?_

"Goodnight son, I love you." I kissed his head again.

"Love you too, Daddy." One large yawn later and he was asleep. I crept out of the room, leaving the bedroom door open and made my way back to the kitchen.

I wanted answers now, more than ever. My son was now involved and I could not keep my promise unless I knew what happened.

I made my way to Bella. Ready to start firing questions at her and get the answers I needed.

"Bella, we need to talk!" I announced. She was standing at the counter with her back to me; her back was hunched over, her shoulders slouched. Her whole body looked small and fragile.

"Bella," I walked over to her and her body started shaking.

"I'm so sorry," a quiet sob escaped her. I walked closer. I needed to touch her, comfort her, hold her.

"Bella," I whispered and placed a hand on her back.

Instead of my movement comforting her, she broke down. She wrapped her arms around her and cried, huge tears poured down her face.

I quickly turned her towards me and wrapped my arms around her. Her tiny frame melted into me and she grabbed my shirt as if it was her lifeline.

"Shh, Bella, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay," I whispered into her hair and somehow my words made her cry even more.

Her body grew heavy so I bent down and picked her up- bridal style- before her legs gave out on her and carried her into the living room and onto the sofa. She curled herself up in my lap, just like Leah had done, not even an hour ago and continued to cry.

"Shh, Love. I've got you." I held her tightly to me feeling right at home.

When her sobs slowed down, I pulled her chin up so that I could finally look into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she hiccupped.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, but we do need to talk." She nodded her head and looked down again.

"Hey, don't hide from me." I pulled her face back up.

"I, I don't know where to start," she admitted.

I wiped the tears from her eyes, kissed her forehead and whispered, "I know little parts, but I want to hear it from you."

"What do you know?" She asked. I was doing a little dance in my head because she was still sitting in my lap. I kept my arms around her, needing to touch some part of her.

"Er, my dad told me what happened to Leah's dad." I answered honestly. She wrinkled her forehead in confusion. She was just too cute.

"Who's your dad?"

"Dr. Carlise Cullen." Her brown eyes grew wide in surprise, I couldn't help but laugh at her expression.

"Dr. Cullen's your dad? Wait, you're Edward Cullen?"

"Yes, you knew my name," I pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. Why didn't I realize that? Oh, that means Esme is your mom." She smiled, a real smile.

"Yeah," I laughed.

"Why have I never met you before?"

"I'm not sure. I stayed in Chicago for college when they moved here."

"Oh, you lived in Chicago?" She asked.

"Yeah, but Bella, we have all the time in the world to talk about Chicago and my parents, and I promise to tell you anything you want; but can we stay on topic right now, I need to know what has happened to you and Leah," I stressed.

"Why?" Her face full of sadness again. She tried to move away from me, but I tightened my grip. I was not letting her go.

"For many reasons: because I hate seeing you so sad, because Leah is in pain, because I want to protect you both, protect my son. I can't do that if I don't know what's going on."

Bella looked at her hands that were nested in her lap, fresh tears fell from her eyes, and I was silently begging for her to open up, to let me in.

"You won't want your son around me when you know what happened," she whispered in a voice that broke my heart. How could she think that? My son adored her, I could see it in his eyes- I also knew that she adored him too.

"I promised him tonight, that I won't let the bad man take Leah again, Bella." I heard her gasp loudly, her hand when straight to her heart as if it was in pain; I'm sure it was possible that it was.

"You have to tell me what that monster did, Bella."

After another few minutes, Bella wiped the remaining tears, squared her shoulders, and caught my eye with a look full of determination and honesty.

"I met James through a friend at work. We had gone out for our usual Friday Happy Hour drinks at the end of the week. Rose would watch Leah for me."

"Who's Rose?" I asked, moving the bangs away from her eyes.

"My best friend from Phoenix. We met my first year at college, she's been my best friend ever since," she smiled.

"Ah, is that Rosie?" I asked remembering Emmett's eyes light up when he mentioned her last night.

"Yes," she laughed, "but don't call her that, she hates it."

"Alright, Emmett calls her that though."

"Oh yeah and he gets the bruises and headaches to go with it." She laughed fondly of her friends.

I cleared my throat a little, we were getting off track.

"James," I mumbled. One word and her beautiful smile disappeared.

"Every Friday all the teachers would go out for dinner and drinks. It was our way celebrating the end of the week, and Rose always watched Leah for me. She would say it was their girlie time." She laughed, the side of her eyes crinkled in joy. "I would get home to find Leah asleep covered in glitter and hair extensions."

"Riley introduced James as his new neighbor. I didn't speak to him much at first- everyone else was peppering him with questions, so I thought it was best to leave him alone. My apartment was only a few blocks away, so I decided to walk home that night."

The moment she said that, the hair on my neck stood up. The thought of her alone with that bastard set my blood on fire. I took a deep breath and continued to listen to her story. I knew how I was going to feel by the end of it, but I needed to know what had happened, no matter how difficult it was to hear. Besides, it had to be harder for her to tell, and here she was, sitting in my lap as she shared her nightmare.

"James announced he needed to get some money from the bank and ended up walking me home."

"What! Did he follow you?" I asked her in confusion.

"No, the bank was on the way and we got talking about Art, it was something we had in common. He was an artist, and I finally had someone to share my knowledge with."

"Edward?" I felt her hand on my cheek, "Are you okay?" My whole body was tense, my jaw clutched with my building anger.

"Yeah, keep going please."

"Okay, well, we talked all the way. He mentioned that one of his friends was having his work shown in one of the galleries, and I agreed to go with him. I enjoyed his company, and I loved going to the galleries, so I thought 'why not?' We arranged to meet there a week later, the gallery was amazing, and there were so many well known artists there. I even managed to do some networking for my own work. James insisted on walking me home, it was raining so I suggested sharing a cab. Everything was going great, we talked and laughed. I really liked him. But when he kissed me I was completely shocked. I didn't think that we were on a date, but I guess the signs were there."

"He turned up at my house the next day- he met Leah that day. When I think about how she looked at him, and barely said anything to him, I should have known right there and then. I should have told him to get lost, but I never, I..."

Tears were falling again, her face was crumpled in pain, and her body had curled in my lap as if she was trying to make herself disappear. I wanted to take her pain away, wrap my body around her, protect and tell her she never had to relive that nightmare again. Instead, I ran my fingers through her glorious hair and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I thought that in time, Leah would grow to like him, she did. But she never took to him they way she has to you." I smiled at that information.

"Anyway, over the next couple of weeks, I spent a lot of time with James. We had a lot in common, but he was just a friend. When he kissed me again, I felt nothing- no spark, no tingles, nothing. I suggested we stay friends and James agreed. I knew he was disappointed, but I couldn't pretend something was there when it wasn't."

"James helped me to develop my paintings and grow as an artist. I thought that we were finally on the same page, and that he valued our friendship the way that I did..."

"But he didn't?" I asked, my voice laced with venom.

"No, we had a few drinks one night and he tried to kiss me again. I told him that I didn't feel that way about him and he lost it. He started shouting about how no-one would ever want me and that he was the only one who would want to take on someone else's child. I got so angry when he said that. I would never ask anyone to take on my child, she was my daughter and she didn't even like him. I told him that, and he hit me. He yelled that I needed to know my place in life. He was very drunk and eventually passed out. I called the police and they arrested him."

"That son of a bitch," I mumbled through my teeth. He had tried to force her to be in a relationship with him and then abused her when she refused.

"Edward," Bella whispered. I grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"I'm okay, just keep going please," I begged. I wasn't sure how much more I could take before my temper got the best of me.

"Well, James was charged with assault, but was quickly released on bail. Leah stayed with my neighbor when I was at work. Sienna said that they had been to the museum that morning and Leah tired herself out. So when I went to pick her up, she was taking a nap. But when I went to the room she wasn't there. I looked everywhere for her, I even called my dad begging him to get the police to help look for her. Hours soon past into days, Emmett and my dad had flown down to help look for her. It was two days before James called- two days before he told me he had her, and that if I wanted her back, I had to meet him. He told me that if I told anyone or brought anyone with me that I would never see her again. So I did the only thing I could, I told everyone that I was going for a walk and that I wanted to be alone."

"You went alone? Fuck, Bella."

"Yes, but I left the address in the cupboard. I knew Emmett would be looking in there eventually. When I got there, he tied me up in a chair. I couldn't hear Leah, but he told me she was asleep in the next room. He rambled on and on about how I was finally his and that I was a tease. I tried begging, pleading with him to let Leah go."

I wrapped my arms around her as she struggled to get the words out. She was hiccupping through her tears, and I felt like someone was trying to rip my insides apart inside my body.

"He, he, tried, to, ah, get me to, sleep, with him," she sobbed.

"Shh, Love. It's okay. You don't have to tell me anymore." I didn't want to see her like this anymore- I wanted the Bella from the cafe this morning. I wanted her smiley and happy.

"No, I, need to, finish."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Please Edward, I need you to understand." I nodded and kissed her head, words were failing me at the moment.

"I was exhausted and decided that maybe if I gave him what he wanted then he would let Leah go. I turned away from him trying to block out what was happening."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He was going to rape me- either I let him or not. I had lost the will to fight him off." Fuck, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. I could feel my eyes fill with tears, and my heart was beating at an unhealthy rate. The thought of anyone touching her when she didn't want them to killed me.

"But I noticed a wardrobe in the room." She took a deep breath and sobbed out nine words that ripped through my heart. "Leah was watching from the inside of the wardrobe."

I heard a loud growl escape within me. I wanted to break something, I was suddenly thankful that Bella was sobbing in my lap.

I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to control the anger that was fighting to get out. "Please, Bella, please tell me she never saw-, that he never actually- fuck, please tell me." I grabbed her hands and peeled them away from her face. She was trying to hide from me again.

"No, he didn't," she cried. "I managed to get my hands free and push him off me. He hit me a few times and even managed to break my leg. I hit him over the head with a lamp that knocked him out long enough for me to tie him up. I grabbed Leah and ran the best I could out of the door. I could hear him screaming as I left."

"Is that when Emmett found you?" I asked.

"Yeah, how do you know?" Her cries had quieted down a little, but she was still hiccupping through her words.

"Emmett told me last night."

"I'm so sorry," she cried again. One hand covered her mouth and the other covered her heart as if she was trying to heal the pain.

"Shh, Love. It's okay. You saved her, Bella. You rescued her."

"I let her get taken, Edward. I let that monster into her life."

"That was not your fault, none of that was your fault, Bella." How could she think that? She didn't know that he was psychopath that couldn't take no for an answer.

"Please don't take Anthony away. Leah needs him."

_What!_ I grabbed her face gently with both hands and turned her towards me. I wanted her to fully understand what I was about to say.

"Bella, I would never take Anthony away. You are an amazing mother with an amazing little girl. Anthony loves you both already." _So do I_. "I trust you even more now, and I know that you will do anything to keep our kids safe." _Our kids, I loved that idea._

"Really?"

"Really." God, I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I didn't think she could handle that right now.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I panicked when I couldn't find her."

"Shh, it's okay. I understand." I pulled her tight against me and smiled when she molded into my body. She laid her head on my shoulder and let out a deep sigh- her body slowly relaxed.

"Why did she scream earlier?" I finally asked. I had been wondering about that since it happened.

"We don't know what happened when she was with him. She won't talk, but sometimes she gets trapped in her memories. She screams when she's scared." Her voice sounded so small.

"I've never heard her talk. Does she not talk at all?" I asked her.

"Not since that day, today was the first day I have heard her giggle." Giggle, she had giggled a lot today. She had smiled a lot as well- her chocolate eyes would light up when she smiled. I wanted to see that smile every day, I was going to make her smile every day, and I was going to make Bella smile every day too.

"Edward," Bella pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Mmhmm?"

"Do you think Leah talks to Anthony? He knew her name when I met him and after what he said today…" How else would he have known about Leah being taken? She must have talked to him. A sense of pride washed over me. If Leah was talking to Anthony, he was keeping her secrets very close to his heart. I couldn't be anything but proud that he was being a friend to her, and gave her someone to trust and confide in. If she wouldn't talk to her mother, then at least she could talk to my son. I had faith that he would protect her. I also believed that if he needed to, he would tell me if he was worried by anything she had said. In fact, I wondered if that's what he was doing tonight? Was he trying to tell me that Leah shared her thoughts with him? Is that why he needed to know that I would protect them both?

I looked down at Bella, her eyes were closed, her breath fanned over my neck, and her hand tightly held my shirt. I felt like we had been sitting on her red couch for days. I needed to get out of here and clear my head. There was a lot of information to digest, and I wanted to wrap my brain around everything Bella had told me.

I gently lifted her into my arms and walked to the bedroom. Even though most of her house was still empty, I still felt like I was at home. There was a warmth that spread through each room- a warmth that spread through me.

I laid her softly on her bed, removed her shoes, and pulled the covers over her. I wanted to climb in beside her and hold her against my body. There was nothing sexual about it- I just wanted to take care of her, feel her skin against mine.

"Daddy?" Anthony groggily announced.

"Hey, Buddy."

"Bella sleeping?" He asked while watching her with a small smile. I just thought of a way to show Bella that I honestly trusted her and hopefully she would believe what I told her tonight.

"Yeah, do you want to stay here with Bella tonight? You can just stay where you are?"

"Yeah, where you gonna sleep though?" He asked and curled back up on the bed. "You gonna sleep beside Leah?"

"No, I'm gonna sleep in our house tonight." I thought back to my conversation with the Chief earlier, he couldn't say I wasn't making the effort now.

"Oh, by yourself?" I sat down next to him and wiped his forehead with my hand.

"I'll be okay, I'm only next door, and I'll come and get you in the morning. It's up to you buddy, you can come home if you want?"

"I wanna stay with Bella," he stated.

"Good, I think she needs you more right now." I kissed his head.

"Goodnight, Buddy. Give Bella lots of cuddles in the morning, okay?"

"I will. Night, Daddy."

"I love you, Anthony," I whispered.

"Love you too," he whispered back.

I made my way home, alone, for the first time in five years.

**_What are you thoughts?_**

**_ Join me on twitter babylou23, I will be posting daily teasers, information on what I'm reading and any update information. _**

**_Check out my blog for picture teasers that will be up on fridays aswell as outfits and extra stuff. Lastly, please review, the numbers have been going up and I will reply to everyone. I'm half way through next chapter and on bed rest all weekend, so update will be Monday, unless I'm inspired beforehand, wink wink. _**

**_BB_**


	11. Chapter 9

_**I want to welcome all readers and thank you to the everyone of you. The response to the last chapter was amazing, I love hearing from you and I hope I answered everyone the best I could. **_

_**I don't own twilight, just two little cuties, Daddyward and I need a name for Bella, any ideas?**_

_**Thank you to my beta for getting this done so quick.**_

_**As promise...**_

Chapter 9

Bella

"_James, please stop?" I begged for the hundredth time._

_I had to think quickly. I refused to let my daughter witness any of James's vulgar ideas._

_I tugged and pulled at the rope around my wrists. I could feel it becoming looser the more I tugged- the rope burned the insides of my wrists. I tried to think away the pain and pulled as hard as I could._

"_Don't fight me, Bella, you fucking tease," he muttered as he bit my earlobe._

"_Please, James?" I pulled the rope a little harder and said a silent prayer when they fell apart- the blood rushed back into my fingers._

"_Shh and I'll make it good for you, too," he cooed._

_I hid my smirk from him- he was going to be so disappointed._

"_LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" I yelled and head butted him as hard as I could._

_James stumbled back a little and lost his balance, which resulted in him falling on his butt and knocking over one of the tables. A sharp pain ripped through my forehead, but I had to ignore it, I had to get to my daughter._

"_YOU BITCH!" He growled through his teeth and grabbed me as soon as I got out of the chair._

"_GET OFF ME!" I screamed while kicking and pushing him. The smell of damp carpet invaded my nose, causing my stomach to turn. Please don't be sick, I pleaded in my head._

"_No, not until I get I want." He climbed on top of me, turned me around, and pinned me down. He must have forgotten that I had grown up with boys, and that I knew how to get them where it hurts. Without really thinking about it, I brought my knee up so that it made good contact with his cock._

_I wanted to laugh as his face crumpled in pain- his mouth slacked, his eyebrows furrowed together, and his eyes went cockeyed. But I had more important plans. I jumped up quickly and ran towards the wardrobe._

_I stopped short._

_Where had it gone?_

_It was right in front of me and now the wardrobe had disappeared._

"_Bella? Love?" A velvet voiced echoed in the air._

_I looked around and saw the man I longed to see, standing in front of me._

"_She's safe, Love. You rescued her." He was dressed in his uniform and had Leah wrapped in his arms._

"_Edward? Leah?" I whispered._

_Edward had her. I felt my body relax, she was safe with him, I knew that in my heart._

"_Mommy, I'm safe now. You rescued me," Leah called, her voice high and delicate. I had forgotten how sweet her voice was; how soft and gentle she spoke._

_I looked around me and realized that I was standing in my kitchen. I was no longer in that dirty, urine smelling house. I was in my new kitchen, but it looked different. The walls were red now instead of the beige color, there were dishes piled in the sink, and a lot of baby bottles on the counter tops. The kitchen looked like it was lived in, it looked like a home._

"_Can I have a cupcake?" Anthony asked. Where did he come from?_

_I looked back to where Edward stood, but he wasn't there. Instead he was sitting at the dining table feeding a small baby in a high chair while Leah was drawing something._

"_Edward?" I called. _What the hell was happening?

"_Yes, Love?" _Love?

_I felt something heavy on my chest, a strong pressure._

"_What was happening?" I asked grabbing my chest, the pressure was still strong._

_He never answered me. He just kept on feeding and cooing at the baby._

"_Edward?" I called again when everything started to fade. _What was happening?

I slowly opened my eyes. The room was dark and enclosed. I blinked a few times trying to make sense of my surroundings. It was still dark outside, and the rain was pattering against the window, creating a humming noise in the room.

I took a deep breath.

There was something heavy pressing into my chest, making my chest feel tight.

What did that dream mean?

Was it telling me to trust Edward?

What was the baby about? And the way he called me, Love? He called me that last night as well, but I assumed that he was just trying to calm me enough to hear about James.

I heard small snores coming from within the room- it was coming from the pressure on my chest. I slowly raised my head and arms to find a mop of bronze hair in my face. _Anthony._

Anthony was the pressure I felt on my chest, he was laying on it. His small arms and legs hung down my sides like heavy loose drapes. All I could see was the top of his head. His face was hiding in the covers. _Edward left him here with me?_ After everything he learned last night, he still aloud Anthony to stay here. Edward must have slept on the couch. I gently raised my arms and slowly moved his body onto the mattress.

"Daddy?" He whispered, his voice echoed in the empty room.

"It's Bella, Honey."

"Mmm, Bella. I don't wanna get up yet," he mumbled. This boy was so cute.

He tucked his body against mine and wrapped his arms around my waist, getting comfortable to go back to sleep.

"It's still early, you go back to sleep," I answered.

"You too." He tightened his hold on me.

"I have to get up, Honey; and I have to wake your dad up. I'm not sure what time he has to go to work," I whispered while trying to peel his arms from me.

"Daddy's at home," he mumbled.

"Home?"

"He said I could stay with you, and that he will come get me. Bella, I don't wanna get up yet." Huh, Edward left him here alone, with me. A wave of remorse passed through me, he trusted me so much. I looked at the sleeping boy next to me, if Edward was going to trust me with his son then I would return that trust.

I carefully crept out of the bedroom; my body felt rested and my heart felt light. For the first time in a long time, I felt calm and happy. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders- I could now stand tall and face the world. Who knew that sharing one of the most horrible and terrifying days of my life, with a new neighbor, would bring me some peace.

I walked into the living room, there were coloring books and crayons on the floor, a couple of cars, and some DVD's. I thought about my dream and how I felt with the kids' stuff laying around the house. I smiled to myself. I liked that feeling, the feeling I had right now staring at the toys.

As I moved around my house, from room to room, I noticed how empty it felt overall. Even though there were still a shit load of boxes to empty; the house still felt empty somehow. Maybe I could give Esme a ring and see if she would help me decorate.

I met Esme when I was eighteen years-old. I had hurt my arm from tripping over my father's fishing rod in the garage one day. She walked into the hospital looking for her husband- who just happened to be my doctor. She was a beautiful woman; her caramel hair and green eyes captured a mother's warm. She held herself with such grace and beauty. I envied her, I used to wish that I would one day grow into become the woman she was. She introduced herself; she explained how she and her husband moved from Chicago as they wanted to live in a small town. All her children were in college, so they took the opportunity when Dr. Cullen was offered a job in Forks. I remembered wishing that she would adopt me, I never had a mother and she made me feel special with the attention she was paying me.

Over the years, I grew quite close the Cullen's, especially Esme. She would share her cooking tips with me, and claimed that only one of her children had any interest in cooking. I never asked much about her children, if I was being honest; I was a little jealous that they got to grow up with a fantastic mom and I didn't have one.

When I found out I was pregnant, Esme would phone me with tips on what was best to eat and what crib was best to buy. She even flew down to decorate Leah's nursery for us. I loved that nursery- it was a lush white with baby pink and velvet colors splashed throughout the room. When Leah was born; she stayed with me for the first week, and helped me get settled into life as a single mother. I would never be able to thank her and Dr. Cullen for what they have done for me over the years. They have never missed a birthday or Christmas; Esme even sent over school supplies when Leah started school last year. They had both become two of the most important people in my life, and I knew that their son and grandson will be joining them.

I walked into the kitchen wondering what to make for breakfast. The kitchen was stocked, so I grabbed ingredients for blueberry muffins and decided to just have cereal for breakfast. Once the muffins were in the oven, I quietly checked on Leah before sneaking into my room for some clothes. Anthony was fast asleep, as was Leah. It was best to leave them for now, next week they would not have the luxury of sleeping in. I was terrified of how Leah was going to react to going back to school. I had an appointment this morning with Leah's principal to go over all my areas of concern that needed to be discussed about Leah's condition. I had sent an email, ahead of time, outlining the types of situations that could become difficult for Leah to handle; and I asked how the school could assure me that she would be comfortable and safe within their school.

When I entered the hall, I could hear Hannah Montana singing on the television and Leah moving about the living room. "Good morning," I announced to my five, almost six year old.

Leah looked at me with a scowl on her face. I guess someone got up on the wrong side of bed this morning.

"Come and get your breakfast," I told her. Leah silently followed me into the kitchen, she did not look happy. Her brown eyes looked tired- maybe she didn't get much sleep.

I took a deep breath and sighed. I was not going to let her spoil my good mood today. Silence swayed around us, and I wished that I could ask her what was wrong; but I knew she wouldn't answer me. She never did when she was in these kinds of moods. I just hoped that she cheered up before we went to the school.

I finished the muffins and made her cereal to eat. She ate in silence while I drank my coffee, looking for any signs that she was hurting; but she just looked grumpy. Everyone is allowed a grumpy day, right?

Anthony eventually dragged his butt out of bed when I told Leah to go and wake him. The moment I told her that, she ran out of the kitchen, a smile back on her face.

"Bella?"

"Yeah."

"When's my daddy coming over?" He looked at me concerned.

"Soon, Honey,"

"He is coming for me?" He swirled the cereal around his bowl.

"Of course he will." I tried to ease his discomfort.

His question was answered quickly when Edward arrived through the door.

"Daddy," both children ran to him, and wrapped their small frames around his large one.

He chuckled and greeted them. I couldn't help but notice that he looked tired. He was dressed in baggy jeans, a hoodie, messier hair than usual, and there were big grey bags under his eyes. I felt guilty. It was my fault he was tired. I bet he was up all night trying to think of ways that he could get me out of his life.

"Morning, Love," he smiled my favorite crooked smile. "You look well rested." Then he smirked as if he knew some unshared secret.

"I am, thank you," I blushed.

"Good. so-" he clapped his hands together and looked down at the kids " - what's the plan for today?" he asked.

"Oh well, I have an appointment with Mr. Banner about Leah starting school next week this morning." His smile fell which made me grin. He wanted to spend more time with us, I couldn't help but grin at the realization.

"Mr. Banner isn't the principal anymore." Edward informed me while making himself a cup of coffee. He acted so casual, so comfortable, as if he lived here.

"Oh." Now I was getting worried. A new principal was not the best thing for Leah right now.

"It's okay, my sister is the principal now. So Leah's in safe hands," he winked. _He winked at me_. I wanted to giggle like a sixteen year-old.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah, my big sister, Bree." He grinned.

"How many siblings do you have?" I asked. He took one of the muffins from the plate, licked his lips and took one big bite.

"I have two sisters," he mumbled, crumbs fell out of his mouth as he chewed. I couldn't stop watching his mouth- it was like it called my name over and over.

"Alice is baby sis, she's the youngest of us. Then there's me, the only boy, and then Bree, she's the oldest. I think my dad was so relieved when Anthony came along, we were always out voted by the girls," he laughed.

I laughed with him, knowing how that felt. I was the only girl in my house growing up. I stole a glance at him- he was staring at me again. As always I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. Why did this man affect me so much?

Not only did he give me a sense of peace whenever he was around, but he sent my hormones into overdrive. All I wanted to do right now was drag him back to my bedroom and have my wicked way with him. I have never felt like this before. With Jake, it was gradual, we were friends for years. Then one day he kissed me and then asked me out. I said no at first because he was one of my best friends, and I didn't think of him like that. Then, the next day, he kissed me again- and the next day and then the day after that. At the end of that week, he climbed into my room and asked me out again, stating that we had been kissing all week so there must be something between us. He was my boyfriend the next day. Everything happened slowly with Jake, my feelings for him developed over time. But with Edward, I was attracted to him straight away. I've only known him for three days and already I wanted to jump his bones. This could not be healthy?

"Hey, can you watch the kids while I take a quick shower?" I asked.

"Sure," he shrugged and walked away from me.

I showered, dressed, and helped Edward get the kids ready for the day. It felt good to have someone with me, who shared in the simple joys of being a parent- like putting on the kids' jackets or tying up shoe laces.

"Leah, come and get your jacket on. We have to go," I yelled for the second time. She shook her head and grabbed Edward's hand. I guess she liked having him around as much as I did.

"Leah," I warned. She shook her head again and mouthed 'No.' Edward covered his mouth with his hand and tried to hide his chuckle. He wouldn't be laughing in a minute.

"Leah Rose Black, if you don't come and get your jacket on right now, then you will not get to see Edward again today or tomorrow," I warned again.

"WHAT!" Edward whined. This time I had to keep myself from laughing, I didn't know who would find that punishment more difficult, Leah or Edward?

"That's not fair, Bella. I didn't do anything," he moaned. I was just about to change it when Leah screamed. It was not the scream where she was scared. No, this scream was because she was not getting what she wanted. This was Leah having the start of a tantrum. When she stopped screaming, she let go of Edward's hand and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, placed a pout on her lips, and stomped her foot.

"Did she just stomp her foot?" Edward asked in disbelief. Anthony just stood against the wall, his jacket was on and he was perfectly calm. In fact he looked a little bored.

"Yes," I answered. "Why don't you go and I will handle her?"

"Oh, okay." Edward bent down and kissed her head. "Be good for your mom, Princess. Come on Ant." He held out his hand for Anthony.

"Bye, Pants," I laughed, Anthony just smiled at me. I think he was getting used to the nickname, while Edward looked at me in confusion. I just smiled at him.

"Bye, Love," he whispered to me and I felt him lean in and kiss my head. He lingered a little longer than normal before he disappeared out of the door.

I turned to Leah. "Let's get this jacket on." I was not going to be late for her appointment, she was going whether she liked it or not.

XXX

"Good Morning, Miss Swan, I'm Ms. Cullen. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Ms. Cullen greeted us. "Oh and you must be Leah. Anthony was right! You do have such pretty eyes." Leah gave Ms. Cullen her pageant winning smile, however her shyness still overtook her and she hid behind my legs.

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Ms. Cullen asked me to sit in one of the big brown leather chairs in front of her desk. She gave Leah some crayons and a coloring book, which resulted in her earning another one of those smiles. The office was small, but comfortable. I could see her degree hanging on the wall. But that was it; no pictures or any real color in the room.

"Mr. Banner retired a couple of weeks ago, and I am now the Principal of Forks Elementary. I have read Leah's file and I feel that my position will benefit Leah, and I will certainly be able to help make her transition with starting school easier." She smiled a smile that was so similar to Edward's. There were only a couple of similarities that I could see in their features. They shared the same smile and eye color, but Bree had dark brown curly hair that fell effortlessly on her shoulders. Her face was more delicate and soft, and her voice was gentle, but firm. She held herself was such grace that I could only wish to carry off. I was arms and legs, tumbling over air. There was nothing graceful about me.

"I don't mean to sound so disrespectful, but I am very happy to have a female Principal. Will she still have Mrs. Cope as her teacher?" I asked.

"Yes, we have set out some guidelines on the best way for Leah in the classroom. There are two kindergarten classes this year and Leah will be in Class A, with Mrs. Cope. There are only two male teachers on staff at the school now; and I have arranged a staff meeting to inform all teachers about Leah's situation tomorrow. I felt that it was best that they all understand how sensitive her situation is, and give them some guidelines on how to make Leah's experience here at school run as smoothly and enjoyable for Leah as possible." Ms. Cullen continued, "As requested, I have made sure that Leah is in Anthony's class, and I have discussed with Mrs. Cope that she is not to separate them unless they do so themselves."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Cullen, but I did not make that request," I said, however, I did like that idea. Leah was comfortable with Anthony, and I honestly believed that she talked to him. If Anthony was with her, I would not worry as much.

"I should have known," she laughed. _I'm confused_. "Miss Swan?"

"Bella, you can call me, Bella."

"Bella, my brother called me last night and demanded that Leah and Anthony be in the same class. He went on for about an hour about them sitting in the same group, and that I had to keep them both paired together unless they asked otherwise." I could tell that she found this amusing, I was not sure if it she was laughing at Edward's rant or my shocked facial expression. I could feel that my eyes were wide and my mouth hung open. I must be a horrible sight.

"Edward called you?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, he also suggested that they should be held back at their desk for an extra ten minutes so that Leah had no accidental run-ins with other fathers. Is that something you agree with, Bella?"

I was unsure if I should be pissed that Edward had called his sister or touched by how much he cared about Leah. _Remember your promise to start over, Bella. Start with trusting Edward. Trust Edward, I can do that._

"I think that's a good idea. Will that be okay with Mrs. Cope?" I asked.

"Of course."

"I looked at the forms you sent and noticed that besides yourself, you have two males that will drop or pick Leah up?" She looked at me, with her forest green eyes- which were darker than Edward's emerald- they were gentle and full of wonder. Her warmth flowed through the room and created a sense of ease and relaxation that only her mother could have passed on to her. She reminded me a lot of her mother; both warm and inviting, never judging or degrading. Characteristics that I noticed spread wide in their family. I wanted that family; the Cullen family life. I wanted the handsome attentive husband; the three perfect kids, the large family dog; the rocking chairs on the porch.

I once thought that I could have that life with Jake, but fate had other plans for us, cruel evil twisted plans. Now I was alone with one child- who right now hated me and would rather stay with my neighbor. Not that I blame her; I would want to stay with him too.

"Bella?" Ms. Cullen coaxed me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, the two men are my father and close friend. Leah is comfortable with them- there won't be any problems with either of them picking her up."

"That's great. Edward has also asked to be added on as an emergency contact and for you to be added to Anthony's release list as well."

I'm little pissed now. He could have asked me this morning about all of this. He knew that I had this appointment today- why did he ask about our plans for the day? He let me get ambushed by his sister like a suspect getting questioned by good cop vs. bad cop. "Can I get back to you on that?" I asked and almost laughed when she smirked in amusement.

We spent the next hour going over everything that was needed for Leah to start school next week. We agreed that she would start at the same academic level as everyone else and see how she developed from there. She was only in school for roughly four and half months last year before I had to pull her out. I hated doing that, she was so smart and loved her class, but after what happened with James, she had no interest. She would just sit there every day and stare out of the window, her face motionless and her eyes dead.

When I think of the change in my daughter since that first week after we escaped James, I am blown away by the progress she has made. Her old therapist argued that she had not progressed much, and I guess mentally, in a way, she hadn't. But now, here in Forks, she was slowly coming back to me, and if she was talking to Anthony, than I could only cross my fingers and pray that she would talk to me soon.

However, today was not going to be that day. We finally left the school and made our way to the mall. Another two tantrums and a killer of a headache later, I drove us home and sent Leah to her room to unpack. I was going to help her, but decide that it was fair punishment for today.

By six o'clock, I had changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, unpacked all of the kitchen and bathroom, and was half way through the rest of the living room when the door bell rang. I had not spoken to Emmett today, so I figured that it was him at the door.

Boy was I wrong.

I opened the door, to find none other than the man that been on my mind most of the day. "Edward!" I blushed. He was wearing his police uniform again.

"Hi," he muttered. "I was due a break and I thought I would come see how our Princess was doing, you know, after this morning"?

I sighed, deeply.

"She's still misbehaving, I guess?" He asked shaking his head, which caused drops of water to fly in my hall.

"Shit, sorry, Edward, I didn't realize it was raining." I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hall. His hair was flat and dark from the rain, it looked wrong, but even wet, I wanted to run my hands through it. "Shoes off," I demanded. I didn't want wet muddy shoe prints in my new house. Edward just laughed at me. "Have you eaten yet? I was just about to order pizza if you want to join us?"

"I'd love too," he grinned at me. Resulting in me grinning back- we must have stood there for a couple of minutes and just grinned at each other like a couple of ten year-olds.

I finally broke our little bubble when my stomach rumbled loudly. "Why don't you phone for the pizza and I'll get Leah?"

"Sure," he shrugged- his grin still in place created butterflies in my empty stomach.

"Oh and don't be too nice to her, she's being punished still." Edward chuckled, a beautiful magical chuckle that I wanted to lock in a bottle so that I could listen to it whenever I wanted. _What the hell is this man doing to me? Magical chuckle? Really?_

I walked into Leah's room. All the boxes were still full and she was lying on her bed asleep. _Maybe_ _she'll wake up this time in a better mood._

"Leah's asleep," I stated. Edward raised an eyebrow. "She hadn't even started unpacking yet, so I have no idea what she has been doing since we got back."

Edward was standing looking at the photos that were now hanging on my wall. There were a couple of Rose and Leah or Emmett and Leah; but they were mostly of different shots of Leah growing up.

"Did you take all of these?" He inquired.

"Yes," I leaned closer into him to see the one he held in his hand. It was one of my favorites. Leah was only two at the time, and she had this teddy bear that she would take everywhere with her.

"She looks so young; she is such a beautiful little girl," he admitted with honesty in his voice. I felt my eyes well up; I didn't think I've ever met anyone who's as sweet and caring as Edward.

"She was two in that photo, she loved that teddy bear. It was huge, bigger than she was, but somehow she managed to carry it around with her." I laughed at the memory.

"Your very talented, Bella." I looked up at him. He was very close to me, so close that I could feel his breath fanning over my nose.

"Thank you," I whispered, still staring and never moving. I liked being this close to him. I liked the feeling I got in this little bubble that covered us right now. Maybe it wasn't the bubble, maybe it was just the effect Edward had on me?

"You're welcome," he whispered back before licking his lips. I watched his mouth- the way his light pink tongue swiped over those full kissable lips. I licked my lips too, I couldn't help it. It was an automatic reaction- like when you see someone else yawn, you yawn too. So, when you see the man who has starred in your thoughts all day, stand in front of you, wearing a police uniform, smelling amazing, and was licking his lips. You licked yours too.

"Bella?" he whispered, his voice low and husky.

A tense cloud wrapped around us, creating tingles in my body.

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

A little cliffe :-)

**What do you think? Let me know please, lets get over the 300 marks. BB**


	12. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while. This chapter is longer so I hope it makes up for the wait.**

**Author note at bottom, please read.**

**Thank you to my amazing beta. I do not own Twilight.**

Chapter 10

"_I love you Anthony," I whispered._

"_Love you too," he whispered back._

_I made my way home, alone, for the first time in five years._

**Daddyward**

I woke up feeling groggy and disorientated. It took me a minute to remember where I was.

I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath; a slow, long, deep breath.

The whiskey still lingered in my mouth and my head was heavy as the slow aftermath of alcohol I had last night settled into my body.

I spent most of last night talking to my sister about Bella and Leah. I told her about this beautiful woman that had just appeared in my life with a daughter, and that I couldn't get enough of them.

Alice was over excited, and claimed that maybe she was "the one." I had to laugh at her theory, Alice believed in love at first sight- soul mates and all that shit. But it did get me thinking, for a minute anyway.

I then listened – and drank- while Alice babbled about the fashion show she was organizing. I was a gentleman and "oooed" and "awed" at the right moments; but actually spent most of the time content, staring at my wall, as I thought about the sleeping beauty next door.

After a couple of hours talking with Alice, I decided to call my other sibling, Bree. She already knew all about Bella. Apparently my Mom had shared stories with her about Bella over the years. Bree also mentioned that Mom had photos of Leah on her fireplace beside the rest of us.

I made a mental note to look for those photos later.

I slowly got up, showered, dressed, and had breakfast before I went over to Bella's. I hoped I did the right thing- leaving Anthony overnight. It wasn't that I didn't trust Bella; it was her reaction I was worried about. I did it so that she would see that I did trust her, and that it wasn't her fault that that sick bastard took her child.

It also helped me with being separated from Anthony. I promised Charlie that I would work on that, and I was. Bella would tell her father that Anthony had stayed overnight at her house, and Charlie would see that I was sticking to my end of the deal.

Bella reminded me a lot of Charlie. They were both, stubborn, strong, and sincere. I've always respected Charlie. I've tried to prove myself to him every day, and have shown him that he did the right thing by hiring me all those years ago. Charlie not only gave me a job when I was lost and struggling to find my feet; but he gave me a partner who had become the most loyal friend I've ever had, and he also taught me how to be the best single father I could be.

My mind wandered to the day I held Anthony for the first time as I ate my cereal.

XXX

"_Mr. Cullen, your son is in perfect health." The nurse cooed at Anthony, making him smile at her. I watched them in amazement. He was finally here, I had my son with me and he was perfect._

_Perfect? Yes he was, but what about me? I have been so worried about him and where he has been for the last six months that I had forgotten everything I was taught. I have missed out on so much of his life already, and I didn't know the basic things about my own flesh and blood. When did he sleep? What did he like to eat? What toys did he like?_

_I was prepared for a newborn baby, not a six month year old baby._

_The nurse must have read my mind or my facial expression gave my insecurities away._

"_Do you have any clothes for him? The ones he came in are too small?" she asked tickling his belly._

"_Shit," I tugged at my hair, "I, I, didn't think..."_

"_It's alright, there's a shop on level four that has baby clothes if you want to run down and grab something?" she replied, and I did what she said._

_The shop was small, but it somehow held everything you needed to take a baby home- a newborn- that was what this shop was made for, however my son needed bigger clothes._

"_Excuse me?" I asked the sales woman, "Do you have anything for a six month old boy to wear?" I gave my mother's favorite smile in hope that I didn't look like a dead beat dad._

"_Oh, yeah, we have some adorable outfits right over here," she gushed in deep Texas accent._

_I followed her over towards the clothes; she must have been about eighteen years old, swinging her hips as she walked. I looked away from her and stared down at the clothes. They looked very big for Anthony._

"_Here ya're."_

"_Um, okay, thank you," I mumbled and quickly picked up a couple of outfits._

"_Wait," I panicked. "I, um, I need other stuff. Can you help me?" I begged, feeling completely in over my head._

_The saleswoman – named Clare- helped me grab a baby bag; diapers, formula, bottles, food, a couple of hats – they were a must she informed me – some toys, baby wipes, baby powder, and diaper cream. I also bought another car seat to take him home in. Clare told stories of other people and their kids while we ran around the store buying everything I needed. The stories only increased my anxiety of being a single parent._

_I had most of this stuff back home in my apartment, but I wasn't going home. I couldn't face being in that apartment tonight._

_I paid for Anthony's stuff and managed to squeeze it in to one backpack – one that I had bought in another store- and the baby bag._

"_Did you buy the whole store?" The nurse laughed when I return to Anthony's room. I was surprised to see the same nurse rocking him to sleep._

"_Just about."_

"_Well, why don't I let you two have some time together and I'll get his discharge papers."_

_The nurse handed Anthony over to me, he was wrapped in a gown and his little body just melted into my arms; he was so small and chubby for his age. It was the most terrifying and best day of my life. He was only a few months old, but I felt like he was older, that we had been apart for years instead of months._

_I watched him for a couple of minutes, taking in his baby smell and features._

_My parents are going to be so proud when they see him. He looked so much like my mother at that age._

_My parents?_

_That was where I would go._

_I'd go home, start a new life with my family._

_Jane might not think I would go there and even if she did, we would be surrounded by my family and she wouldn't get anywhere near him again. I promised myself._

"_What do you think, Buddy? You want to go and live in rainy Forks?" He raised a small fist towards me- I took that as his sign of agreement._

_I bundled him in the clothes that were too big for him, and wrapped him in the blanket that my mother made for him almost a year ago. I had brought it with me when I got the phone call earlier today. It was the only thing that I have carried around with me like my own security blanket._

_The sun was shining when we finally left the hospital. The streets were busy and alive with people walking through their life. I grabbed the nearest cab; threw in all the bags and called my father, while fitting the car seat in the cab._

"_Edward, any news?" he inquired, his voice aching with worry._

"_I have him, Dad. I have him," I choked out. The emotions of what happened today were finally catching up with me._

"_Oh thank God, Esme! Quick!" He yelled in joy._

"_Dad, Dad?"_

"_Sorry son, I'm just so happy."_

"_I know, but I need your help Dad?"_

"_Anything, Son."_

_I took a deep breath and felt my heart free itself from emptiness that had been lingering there._

"_I want to come home." This time a sob escaped my mouth, I wanted my mother more than anything right then._

"_I'll send the plane," were all the words I needed to hear._

"_Where to, Sir?" The driver asked when I ended my call. I must have looked ridiculous; a young man with a toddler in his arms, crying to come home to his Dad._

"_Airport, please."_

_I leaned over the car seat, while laying my head on the back of the cab seat, and watched my son sleep. He looked so small and fragile. I tucked the blanket by his sides and pulled his hat up away from his face. I guess he didn't like it being moved as he lifted his small hand and tried to pull mine out of the way. I grinned at his actions; craved for more. I was awarded when he grabbed a few of my fingers, gripping on them tightly as if silently saying he needs me. I kissed his forehead and left my hand where it was. He was safe, healthy and here with me. I cried silently all the way to the airport_.

XXX

Even though it was Bella who opened the door, it was my son's squeal and two small children that made my heart leap. They ran straight into me, hugged my legs, and made me feel like the luckiest son of bitch.

"Good morning, my little monsters," I greeted them before they followed Bella back into the kitchen.

I followed her too, where else was I going to go?

Bella was wearing jeans again, but this time she wore a classic white shirt tucked into them. Her hair was loose and flowed down her back. She looked gorgeous.

I watched her closely; her face looked fresh, and her eyes were peaceful as if all her problems had just melted away. I smiled to myself – I had put that peace there, even if it was just for a little while.

"Morning, Love. You look well rested," I smiled.

"I am, thank you," she smiled back.

"Good. So what is the plan for today?" I asked clapping my hands together, excited to spend more time with my three favorite people.

"Oh, well, I have an appointment with Mr. Banner about Leah starting school next week, this morning." _Oh! Damn!_

I walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. It was an excuse to stay here a little longer and stated, "Mr. Banner is not the principal anymore."

I watched the worry creep back into her face, maybe I should tell her about Bree. I didn't want her to worry for no reason.

"It's okay. My sister is the principal now. So Leah's in safe hands," I winked, hoping to ease her mind. Maybe I should tell her about my conversation with Bree last night- well what I remembered of it anyway.

While I was on the phone with both of my sisters, I had managed to drink a bit more than I should have. I don't even remember how I got into bed. I did remember asking Bree for advice on how to make Bella date me. I decided not to say anything right now. I will talk to Bree later and find out what I said to her first. Also, Bella just giggled because of me, and I would be damned if I was going to make her upset right now. I was enjoying this morning too much.

"Your sister?" she asked adorably.

"Yeah, my big sister, Bree."

We talked a little about my family. I was a bit surprised how she knew so little about my family. I knew that she was close to my parents, so I just assumed that she would know certain things.

Bella took a shower, which allowed me to spend time with the kids. I got them dressed and ready for the day.

"You excited to see your school today, Princess?" I laced up her pink glittery sneakers. Leah just shrugged her shoulders.

"Aunt B, is our teacher, eh daddy?" Anthony asked while pulling at his hoodie.

"She's your principal, Buddy. Mrs. Cope is your teacher," I replied. "Alright, all done. Let's go and watch a bit of T.V. until Bella's ready."

XXX

I left Bella to handle a very grumpy little girl and took my son to Seattle.

We did a little shopping for some more school clothes. However, we also pick up some presents for our new neighbors. I wanted Bella to know how interested I was in her romantically, but I also didn't want to scare her away. From the way she looked at and acted around me, I thought she may be attracted to me also; but that does not mean that she would want a relationship with me.

Once we had spent more money than necessary, I loaded our purchases into the car and headed to this new family restaurant that opened last week. Before I even thought of perusing Bella, I needed to know how my son felt first. He always came first.

"Are we going in there?" Anthony bounded, pointing at the big red building.

"Yep, I thought we'd try it out."

"Cool."

Cool was the word he used to describe the inside as well; and the fish, the statues of circus people, and the people dressed as clowns. The clowns really freaked me out, but Anthony loved them. He talked to them, and laughed at them hitting each other, they even showed him how to juggle. Me, I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I was impressed with the restaurant overall, but it was a bit too noisy and crazy for my liking.

The clowns left us alone when our meal arrived by an acrobat. Anthony's eyes widened when she arrived; I guess my son just had his first crush. I chuckled at his expression- I would absolutely be using this against him when he was older. His face was red from embarrassment, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. I almost fell out of my chair when she ruffled his hair, his smile never left his face, and I was sure there was some drool falling from his mouth.

When I had finished my burger and fries, I figured it was a good time to talk to him about Bella and Leah. I just hoped that all the clowns weren't too much of a distraction for him.

"Hey, Buddy, can I talk to you about something?" He nodded his head while chewing on his burger. I took that as my cue to just go ahead.

"Do you like Bella?" I started.

"Huh, huh, she's cool," he smiled.

"Well, I like Bella too, but in a romantic way," I said, watching him closer to see if he understood. He didn't, which I expected, he was only five.

"What's a romantic way?" he asked. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"When you're older, like Daddy's age, and you meet a girl, and you think about this girl all of the time, and you want to spend a lot of time with the girl. You may even want to kiss that girl, cuddle with that girl, slept next to that girl. That's a romantic way."

"Well, I like Bella in a romantic way. I want to spend time with her and make more cupcakes." He smiled to himself, I laughed at his innocence.

"Anthony, I think you like Bella in a friend's way. Do you want kiss her?" I asked.

"I do kiss her, I kissed her cheek this morning, like you do to Grandma."

"I know, but do you want to kiss her like Aunt B kisses Felix?" My sister and her new boyfriend were very much into displays of public affection.

Anthony wriggled his nose in disgust and stuck out his tongue. "Argh, no way! That kissing is gross. Nana C always gives me loads of kisses over my face, that's gross too, yuck."

This made me laugh even more. I knew how he felt about Nana C, I still hated when she visited. Even my Dad makes a face when she does it to him, and it was his mother.

"Yeah, Nana C slobbers a bit," I laughed. God, I loved hanging with my son.

"You want to kiss Bella?" he asked.

"I do, but only if she wants to kiss me. I would like to see her more, take her out for dinner, and do grown up stuff. Would you be okay with that?" I picked up my cold fries and ate them. I needed something to do to keep my mind from flowing to the trail of "grown up stuff."

"Huh, huh, I could play with Leah," he answered, finishing his burger.

"You like playing with Leah?"

"Yep, she's so much fun, Daddy. She's my friend."

"Ants? Does Leah ever talk to you?" I asked gently and waited, holding my breath, for his answer.

"Sometimes, but it hurts her to talk."

"Hurts her? How?" I asked. A cloud of sadness washed over him. He leaned back into his seat and looked at his lap.

"Anthony, you're not going to get into trouble, I promise. I just want to know Leah a bit better, that's all. What does she say when she does talk?"

"She mostly draws and then says what it is. I ask her stuff and she sometimes answers, but mostly just shakes her head. It hurts her Daddy. When she talks she says it hurts, here." He pointed to his left chest, a little too high, but I knew he meant his heart- it hurt her heart to talk.

"Come here," I opened my arms to him. He moved out of his chair and crawled into my lap. I wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"You are such a good friend to Leah, she's very lucky to have you to share her stories with. You just keep doing what you're doing son. If she wants to talk that's good, if she doesn't that's okay too."

"Do you think Pops can help her, make her feel better?" he asked, his eyes pleading with sadness.

"Bella will get her help, Son, don't you worry about anything okay? Just be her friend, that's all you need to do, okay?" I smiled down at him. How did he get so smart? He was only five years old, but sometimes he talked like he was fifteen.

"Okay, I will always be her friend." He smiled, happy and content again.

"Alright, well it's time to go to Grandma's. Daddy has to go to work and get us more pennies since we've just spent it all."

XXX

"Hey, Edward. It's extra quiet tonight, why don't you go and take an extra hour's break?" Charlie smirked.

I looked up to him in surprise. He was leaning against his office door, looking bored and amused at the same time.

"You sure?" I asked. I prayed he wasn't pulling my leg.

"Yep, I know you like to see that boy of yours at bedtime, so off you go, before I change my mind."

I didn't need to be told twice. "Thanks, Chief," I yelled on my way out.

I checked the time, quarter to seven. Anthony doesn't go to bed till half eight, which gave me enough time to maybe check in on my princess... and of course her beautiful mother.

And that's what I did.

The house looked quiet when I pulled up in front of Bella's drive. There were a few lights on, but there wasn't any movement behind the windows. The rain was heavy- it was dropping from her roof like large puddles.

I rang the bell, a little scared of Bella's response. I actually felt like a stalker, turning up at her door, but I had to see her one last time today. I even sounded like a stalker now.

"Edward!" She blushed when she opened the door. _I wondered what created that?_

"Hi, I was due a break and I thought I would come and see how our princess is doing, you know, after this morning?"

She sighed with a look of defeat. I guessed Leah had been giving her a hard time all day. "She's still misbehaving, I guess?"

"Shit, sorry, Edward, I didn't realize it was raining," she ranted and pulled me inside, just where I wanted to be.

"Shoes off," she demanded. I have never been into domineering women, however, my cock twitched in attention. That was kind of hot. I wondered if she was like that in the bedroom. A man could only hope.

I laughed at myself, trying to control my oversexed dirty mind. _What was this woman doing to me?_

"Have you eaten yet? I was just about to order pizza if you want to join us?" she asked, gazing at me through her chocolate eyes, creating an erotic tension in the air.

I gave her a sly grin; thrilled at her invitation and enthusiasm to see me. "I'd love too." She grinned back and we got lost on each other for a few moments. _Magical._

The spell broke by the alert of Bella's hunger. "Why don't you phone for pizza, and I'll get Leah."

"Sure," I agreed. I watched her walk away, her ass swayed in front of me. I gave up trying to hide my desire for this woman.

"Oh…," she stopped half way out the door, "and don't be too nice to her, she's still being punished."

I chuckled at her expression. She was trying to be a strict mom right now, but her eyes held nothing but mischief.

The living room looked different than it did this morning. The bookcase was now filled with more books; a small guitar sat against the corner of her sofa. It was one more thing we had in common- music. A warm ruby rug lay in front of the fire, giving the room a warm homey feeling. I suddenly envisioned a huge green tree filled with presents underneath, four stockings hung from the fireplace mantle, and a small chocolate dog lay on the rug, playing with the kids.

I sighed.

I was getting too ahead of myself, but I couldn't help it. For the first time in my life, I wanted more than just Anthony and me. I wanted more for Anthony. I wanted to share our lives with someone; share all my dreams, thoughts and desires with someone. Share those magical moments like Christmas and Disneyland. I wanted a family, a big one.

I had a family. I had Anthony, and I wouldn't change a thing about him or our relationship, but I had room for more, so did he.

I could see the way he looked at Bella- he worshiped her; sought her motherly nature and comfort. He was so happy about making cupcakes with her. He made them with my mom all the time, but with Bella it was different... it was a mother and son moment and I wanted that for him. I wanted a woman he could go to, if he didn't want me. I also wanted that for, Leah, however, I wanted to be that role for her. The thought of another man playing house with them sent a sharp pain throughout my chest.

I should be terrified of the attachment Anthony has developed with Bella. I should be scared that he would be disappointed if Bella did not become the mother figure he craved. But, somehow, I wasn't.

I knew that no matter what happened between Bella and me, I would be there for Leah. My feelings towards that little girl would not change, and I knew that Bella would be the same with my son.

I have no idea why I trusted her so much, or how I had so much faith that her and Leah would become as important to me as Anthony, but I did.

I knew what I wanted; what my son wanted, and I could only pray that Bella and Leah wanted the same. I just had to get Bella and Leah to knock down the walls that were up around them, and let us in. Once we were in, we were never coming out.

I turned towards the door. I could feel her close to me.

"Leah's asleep. She hasn't even unpacked anything yet."

I turned back towards the back wall. There were lots of pictures hanging. I spotted a beautiful photo of a very young Leah.

"So, I have no idea what she's been doing since we got back."

"Did you take all of these?" I asked. There was one with Emmett and Charlie. They were standing at the grill, beer in hands, with smoke swirling around them from the food they were cooking. The sun was shining and their faces held smiles that I have never seen on Charlie before. He looked relaxed; content and very happy.

"Yes," she whispered as if she admitted something sinful. It went straight to my cock.

I picked up the photo I was drawn to of Leah, trying to distract my mind from wandering into dirty thoughts.

"She looks so young; she is such a beautiful little girl." I wondered if Bella would notice if I just happened to put it in my coat, took it with me, and placed in my office... right next to the one of my son.

"She was two in that photo," she stated, "she loved that teddy bear. It was huge, bigger than she was, but somehow she managed to carry it around with her." I smiled at her story. It was the first one she had really shared willingly with me.

"Your very talented, Bella." I looked at her; she was so close to me. Somehow our bodies had drifted towards each other. I took this as another sign of how perfect we were for each other.

Now I sounded like Alice. Maybe she was right though. Alice said that it was love at first sight; I was starting to think that it was true. I was captured by Bella from the moment I saw her... but could it really be love? That quick?

I honestly had no idea. I had never been in love before.

"Thank you," she whispered in that low sexy voice again.

"You're welcome," I whispered back. I wanted to kiss her so much; feel her warm lips on mine- taste her, hold her, and worship her.

I licked my lips and moved slowly towards her, never taking my eyes away from hers.

"Bella," I breathed her name.

"Yeah?"

I searched her eyes for any sign to stop. So far there was none. I did a mental fist pump; I was going to kiss my girl.

"Can I kiss you?"

Aaaand just like that; the walls were back up.

Her body tensed, and I could see the conflict in her eyes.

I tugged a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and placed my hand on her cheek. "It's okay, Love. You're not ready." I placed my other hand on her cheek, cupping her face between.

She looked at the floor.

"Love, look at me." I lifted her face up; she was not hiding from me. Not now, not after the moment we just had.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears falling down her pale face.

"It's okay, Bella." I tried to reassure her. I was a patience man; I would wait until she was ready.

"Edward, I, I…" She pulled her body away from me, and sat down on the sofa, putting some distance between us. I waited for her to gather her thoughts.

"I think it's best if we stay as friends. I have so much going on right now- new job, new house, and Leah. I have to focus on my daughter right now, and I, I, I don't think, you and me…" she waved a finger between us, "are a good idea. I still don't really know anything about you."

"I understand, Bella." I moved and sat next to her. I didn't pull her to me like I did the other night. This was different. "We can change that. We should start as friends like we already are, spend more time with each; get to know each other better."

"Friends?" she was asking for an agreement.

"Friends," I nodded. My father had always said that my mother was his best friend first, without the friendship, no relationship would survive.

"Alright, friend, where is the pizza?" she laughed. _Shit_.

"Will you still be my friend if I told you that I forgot to order it? I was distracted by your photos and never phoned for it." Bella giggled. Her hair fell in front of her face, hiding her from me.

"Oh, I don't know about that," she teased, her laughter died down when she looked at the door. I turned to see a sleepy Leah standing in the doorway. "Hey, Honey, did you have a good nap?" Bella asked her, opening her arms for her.

Leah didn't disappoint and ran straight to her mother. Bella's face glowed as she held her daughter, her love for her poured out of every inch of her body. They've had a rough ride together; I hoped that I could make life more peaceful and fun for them. They deserved it.

I didn't mention what Anthony had told me today about Leah- I would have plenty of time to tell her.

We settled for sandwiches instead of pizza. Leah clung to Bella the whole time I was there, only giving me a brief hug before I left.

XXX

The next couple of days were spent at work. Charlie made me do an extra couple of shifts so that I could still take next week off. I wanted to take Anthony to school and pick him up for his first week. This was a major mile stone in his life, and I was not missing any of it.

I never saw Bella or Leah for the rest of the week. I didn't sneak any visits while working or bump into them in town. My mom had spoken to Bella and informed me that they had their first therapy session today, and that Bella was worried that it would set Leah back. I wanted to call her or something; I wanted her to share her worries with me, not my mother.

I shook my head and tried to concentrate on what I was doing. The words blurred on my computer- creating a mass of dots on the screen. I needed a break. If there was one thing I hated about this job, it was writing up reports. They were long, useless, and boring.

I left my desk and headed to the coffee machine. The sounds of the rain echoed throughout the station, drowning out the small office chatter and phones ringing.

"Hey, Edward?" Emmett shouted across the hall. He wasn't alone; a tall blonde guy followed him as they made their way over to me.

"Hey, Emmett. What you doing here? Missing us?" I teased.

"Nope," he smirked. "What time are you finished?"

I looked at the blonde guy, wondering who he was. "Um, three today. Why?"

"Cause we're going on a road trip, baby!" He did a fist pump in the air; the blonde guy laughed. They were comfortable together, like they had known each other for years.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Road trip, Edward. This weekend, you, me and Jasper." He pointed to the blonde guy. Jasper... what a weird name.

"I can't, I have work and I can't leave Anthony all weekend." I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. Mmm, the warmth flowed through causing my body to hum in delight.

"Charlie has taken you off the rota, Anthony will be fine with Mama C or just give him to Bells; she'd loved to take him." He chuckled as if we just shared some secret joke.

"I don't know…"

"Look, Edward." His face grew serious, his brow pulled together, his eyes became dark and tense, and his body was stiff. "We need your help, and normally I wouldn't ask this way, but I helped you with that douche Alice was seeing. Well now I need you to return the favor."

"My sister needs us," Jasper piped in. His blue eyes pleaded for my help.

I sighed, I couldn't refuse them. I did owe Emmett, and that Jasper dude was making me a little edgy. "Alright, let me sort something out for Ants."

** Sorry for the non- kiss, but it's too soon for Bella. What do you think? Roadtrip huh? How did feel about the flashback. I want to hear your thought as always. **

**As a thank you, for anyone who review will get a teaser of a new story that I did when I was ill. It will not be posted for a while, but it will be very different from anything else. It will be light, fun and full of lemons with a piercing tatward and a prevella. The person who get the 400th review, no matter what chapter it is on will get the whole of chapter one. **


	13. Chapter 11

_**Hey guys, thanks to all the readers, your guys are brillant.**_

_**Thanks as always to my beta cedward2417.**_

_**Author's note at the bottom - Please read.**_

_**I do not own twilight, just these four cute nutters - Momella won for Bella's nickname, thanks guys**_

Chapter 11

"_Bella?" he whispered, his voice low and husky._

_A tense cloud wrapped around us, creating tingles in my body._

"_Yeah."_

"_Can I kiss you?"_

XXX

**Momella**

_Kiss me? He wants to kiss me? Me?_

_Yes? Please? Wait, No? I can't, can I?_

My mind was debating with itself; however my body knew how it felt-it was saying no. My whole body tensed with alert as he whispered those words. That had to mean something right?

"It's okay, Love." He tugged a loose piece of my hair behind my ear. This man was so sweet and gentle, and he wanted to kiss _me_. I still couldn't believe it, after everything he knew about me, that he wanted me.

He placed his hand on my cheek. "You're not ready." Did I mention that he could read me like a book?

I ducked my head, feeling overwhelmed and guilty with this man.

"Love, look at me," he ordered- using that endearment again. I have heard him say it a few times now; I wondered if he knew that he was saying it. I hoped not, I loved the endearment, and I didn't want him to stop.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I was sorry that I couldn't let you kiss me. I was sorry that I was broken and insecure. I was sorry that I couldn't keep my daughter safe, and that I got her father killed. I was sorry that I wasn't good enough for you or your son. I was sorry that you had to stand here and comfort my sorry ass.

"It's okay, Bella." He used his large manly thumb to wipe away my tears.

I needed to put some distance between us. The atmosphere was so tense that I needed room to breathe. I wanted to keep this man in my life, and I didn't want to hurt him, he was so kind and sweet. But how did I explain that? Right now, I had to work on getting my daughter better. Honestly, I had to get myself better as well. I needed to feel happy within myself- I couldn't rely on someone else to do that for me. I needed to do that alone; for Leah, and for me.

"Edward, I, I..." I moved to the sofa, maintaining distance.

"I think it's best if we stay as friends. I have so much going on right now- new job, new house and Leah. I have to focus on my daughter right now, and I, I, I don't think, you and me... are a good idea. I still don't really know anything about you." I finished. _Please understand Edward, please. _

"I understand, Bella." He sat next to me, leaving just a small gap between us. "We can change that. We should start as friends like we already are, spend more time each other; get to know each other better." I'm sure Mother Nature made this man; he's too perfect to have come from God.

"Friends?" I asked.

"Friends."

A sense of relief flowed through me. We could do this. We could be friends. I hoped.

"Alright, friend, where is the pizza?" I teased. I wanted to change the atmosphere, make it light and fun again.

"Will you still be my friend if I told you that I forgot to order it? I was distracted by your photos and never phoned for it." He pouted, making me giggle. He was too cute for words.

"Oh, I don't know about that," I laughed. I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I looked towards the doorway and found my beautiful daughter standing, watching us. She looked relaxed- happy. Her eyes were sleepy, but her face was glowing from her nap. Maybe that was what she needed today- more sleep. Her mind and body must have been tired from the rollercoaster ride we had been on.

"Hey, Honey, did you have a good nap?" I opened my arms for her and she ran straight to me. My heart soared with the happiness glowing on her face. I hadn't seen that face since James took her from me. She had had moments of happiness before we moved back home- Emmett and Rose always made her smile, but it was small or forced most of time. Since we had moved here, and met the Cullen boys, she had started to blossom again. I just prayed nothing set her back.

I lifted her up onto my lap and held her close to me. I caught Edward's eye and he winked at me, smiling at us.

"Good evening, Princess." Edward leaned over and pulled her hair out of her eyes, just like he did to me earlier.

Leah reached over and placed one small hand on Edward's cheek. Edward's smile grew; he turned his head and placed loud noisy kiss on her hand, making her squeal in laughter. I didn't think I would ever get tired of watching this man with our kids. He was so loving and gentle with Leah. I couldn't deny that they had a connection. Leah adored him, she had from the moment she'd met him, and Anthony just melted my heart. That boy was so sweet and adorable. I glanced at Edward and could see where Anthony got his gentle soul from. Edward had an amazing bond with his son, they were best friends. as well as father and son.

"Bella? Bella?" Edward broke my thoughts.

"Huh, sorry."

"Do you want me to order that pizza?" He asked.

"Oh, do you have time now? I can just make something here?" I asked him. He was still wearing his uniform, and he said he was only on a break.

"I still have to go and get Anthony ready for bed. I can just grab something at my Mom's."

"Don't be silly. How about sandwiches? That's quick and easy." I smiled.

"What do you say, Leah?" I asked her. She nodded her head, banging the top of it on my chin. I tried to pull her arms away from my neck, but she didn't want to let me go. I didn't try again. It had been a while since my daughter had clung to me willingly.

"Alright, let's get started."

We had sandwiches and chips for dinner before Edward had to leave for work. Leah gave him a goodbye hug, but she mostly stayed with me.

I gave her a quick bath and she fell asleep, lying on the sofa, surrounded only by the light of the fireplace. She was going to be happy here; we would get through this and make ourselves a wonderful life here in Forks. Every fiber of my being was telling me this, however, it was also telling me that something was still missing. Something we needed to make us complete. I briefly wondered if the Cullen boys were the missing link, but quickly dismissed that theory. I didn't want to go there...not yet anyway.

XXX

"You look good Bella, healthy...happy even." My dad smirked. He had been watching me since we arrived this morning- checking for any signs of change. Was I that bad?

"Things are coming together, and Leah loves it here, so yeah... I am happy."

"Great. Now, breakfast." And that was that. One of the things I loved about Charlie was that he got straight to point. He said what was on his mind and didn't push for more information that you weren't willing to give. "What do want for breakfast, Pumpkin?"

Leah pointed to the words bacon and sausage on the menu. She may not talk, but her reading skills still amazed me.

"Me, too." Charlie smiled and tugged on her ponytail.

We ordered breakfast and talked about Leah starting school next week. I realized that with Leah's behavior, and his surprise visit, that I had forgotten to mention to Edward about the requests he made to his sister.

"Dad, how well do you know Edward?" I muttered.

"Very well. I spent a lot of time with him when he first moved to Forks."

Leah stopped her coloring at the mention of Edward's name. A small smile graced her olive face and her eyes twinkled as she listened to our conversation.

"He asked his sister to put me on Anthony's emergency contact list and he wants to be on Leah's. I know his heart is in the right place, but I'm mad at him for doing that." I ranted. I needed someone to talk to about this. Emmett has disappeared somewhere. I tried calling him last night before I went to bed, but it just went to voicemail.

"I didn't realize that two were that close." He added while his face remained neutral, not giving his feelings away.

"We're not. We're friends and our kids are friends. He's also my neighbor now, so it's hard not to see them a lot." I tried to explain, feeling like a teenager again with her first crush.

"Bella, I'm happy that you're making new friends, and I think that Anthony is good for Leah. He's a great kid and maybe he'll open her up a bit more."

"But..."

"No buts. I've known Edward for a few years and he's a decent guy. He's one of the good guys Bella. Don't let what happened with James stop you from opening up to someone else."

"I know -"

"I'm not saying you should rush into anything with Cullen. I'm just saying that maybe you should let him be a friend to you... and Leah." He finished after cutting me off while flattening down his flannel shirt.

I sighed and finished my bagel. "I'm trying Dad."

"I know, Sweetheart," he finished his coffee and looked me straight in the eye, brown met mine, "but try harder."

_So much for him not pushing._

I spent the rest of the day at my Dad's. He took Leah fishing while I made up my old bedroom. I wouldn't need the room anymore; I lived here now, in Forks. So I decided to do up the room for Leah. She would be using this room whenever she stayed over and that would be a lot more than me.

I grabbed some light purple paint from the warehouse shop, a new desk and chair, lamp, and bedding, as well as some girly throw pillows and toys. I spent the whole day fixing up the room- making it perfect for my little girl.

I was rewarded with a squeal and giggles when Leah saw her room. Bringing tears to not only to my eyes, but my father's as well. I knew he missed us. We rarely ever visited him when we lived in Phoenix. I was so busy with college and work that I only visited in the summer.

Charlie would fly out to see us every couple of months. No matter what was happening here, he would always make time to see us. I rarely made it home; the memories of growing up here with Jake were too painful. Sometimes I used to hear him laugh at me when I would think that way. I could hear his voice saying, "Bells, you have just as much memories in Phoenix of me as Forks, so why can you stay here every day and not go home?" It took me two and half years to answer that question.

_His dad._

Jacob's father was my Dad's best friend. Billy was there for my Dad when he married my mom, when my mom died, and when I was born. My father returned that favor when his wife was killed in a car crash. Jacob was only six years old when he lost his mother, I was eight. I remembered that day so clearly. My Dad was called into work and Carmen, our neighbor, stayed with me. I loved Carmen; she was a thirty year old who believed that she didn't need a man in her life to make it great. I found out some years later the reason that she never needed a man was because she liked females instead.

Carmen and I were making brownies when Jacob ran into the house. He was covered in mud and wet from the rain. His face was full of hurt and anger, he tried to talk but no words were coming from his mouth. I ran over to him, wrapped my arms around him, and held him as he sobbed. We ended up lying on my kitchen floor for hours, crying and talking about our moms.

From that day forward, Jake and I had a secret bond. We bonded over losing our mothers. We would spend hours in my room, or his garage, talking about how they would feel about us, what they'd say or do to embarrass us- anything to make them feel alive in our minds and hearts.

Jacob promised me that I would be there to see my daughter grow up. It was my biggest fear when I found out I was pregnant. I was scared that I would have the same fate as my mother. I never once thought that it was Jake who wouldn't be there and every day I wondered what he would think about our life. Did he think that I was a good mom? Did he watch over our daughter and keep her safe?

"Wow, Bells, you've done a great job." Charlie praised.

"Thanks, I got a lot done really quickly. Be careful, Leah, some of the paint may still be wet."

"Well done, Bella." He rubbed my shoulder before kissing my head and going to his room. I knew he had to go to work soon, so I packed my stuff and decided it was still early enough to take my daughter to the park.

"Dad, we're off, I'll call you later okay." I yelled through the bathroom door. I could hear the shower running and my dad cursing at something.

"Alright, bye." He yelled back.

XXX

Today was Friday.

Today was the day I was dreading.

I spent all day yesterday unpacking and cleaning. I wanted everything done before school started.

I almost succeeded, there were only a few boxes left to unpack.

I would have finished today, but I had my first appointment with our new therapist.

The therapist we used in Phoenix was for Leah. I was never her patient, I never had to sit down and tell her how I was feeling or what I thought. She was there to help my daughter that was all.

But Dr. Stanley was there to help us both.

Rosalie talked me into seeing a therapist for myself. She believed that I needed to talk to someone about what James did to us, and after the way I treated Edward when we first met, I believed I needed to talk to her too.

So here I was, sitting in some uncomfortable leather chair, in a room that smelt like nail polish, waiting to… talk.

Leah was in the corner playing happily with some toys that were on the table. Dr. Stanley had met us in reception and introduced herself as Clara. Within minutes of meeting her, she had somehow made Leah at ease and comfortable.

She had yet to make me feel that way.

"She's very beautiful," Carla stated. Her voice was soft and delicate, matching the features of her face.

"Thank you," I smiled and stole a glance at Leah.

"I understand that you're nervous and that this is difficult for you. Today is what I would like to call an introduction. I want to get to know you and Leah before we discuss the difficult stuff. Is that okay, Isabella?"

"It's Bella," I voiced, a little shaken.

"Bella?" I nodded as I was afraid that I would stay no. I needed to do this.

"Alright, Bella. I have read over Leah's file. I understand that she has not spoken since she was abducted?" It was a question but it felt like a statement.

_Abducted?_

That word sounded too casual, too simple, like rainbows or trees. It doesn't sound like the something that ripped your heart out and wrecked your world.

_Abducted?_

"Um, yes, that is correct," I responded.

"Is that still the case?" She asked gently while flipping the pages of what I assumed was Leah's file.

"Uh, yes," I hesitated.

"You don't sound sure."

I looked over at my daughter. She was sitting at a small table, drawing with some crayons.

"I'm not," I answered honestly. If I wanted change I needed to be as honest as possible.

"Why is that?"

"She giggles now." I said. I loved hearing that sound echo down my hall.

"That's a huge improvement," she started writing in her notepad. "We'll come back to that soon. Is there anything else? Any other vocal noises?" I nodded my head no.

"Okay. How has she reacted towards the move?" I stared at her glossy hair. It was piled up on the top of her head; every piece of hair was in its place. I suddenly felt self aware of my own appearance. I was wearing my hair down, wavy and damp from the air outside.

"Would you say her responses have been positive or negative?"

"Positive, definitely positive."

"You are very sure of that statement. What makes you believe that?"

I took a deep breath. "Her smile. In phoenix, she never smiled, not a mouth full real smile. She would grin a few times but never really smiled. There's light in her eyes now. The dull emptiness is not there as much, and there are the giggles. She's alive now. She's not completely back to herself, but she's here with me." I finished and closed my eyes. She was not the same little girl she was before, soon after James took her.

XXX

**Five months earlier.**

_I walked towards the classroom; I knew that Leah may not have been ready to go back to school yet. But I wanted to see if it helped her. I guess I was wrong as I was now making my way to her classroom at nine thirty in the morning._

_I knocked gently on the door and scanned the room for my little girl._

"_Ms. Swan, I'm sorry to have to do this, but I think Leah is not ready to be back at school." I could hear the sadness in her voice._

"_It's okay, Mrs. Hughes. Where is she?"_

_Mrs. Hughes led me over to the corner of the classroom. Behind a small bookcase was my daughter. She was sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her knees- hugging them to her chest. Her eyes focused on the playground outside the window._

"_Leah?" I whispered and knelled down beside her slowly. "Leah, Honey, it's Mom." I waited for any reaction that indicated she heard me, but there was none. There was no life in her face. She looked like doll sitting there - not moving._

"_Leah, Mommy is here to take you home now. Nod your head if you can hear me honey."_

_I sat there for a few moments, waiting. I was just about to repeat myself when she nodded slowly._

"_Oh thank God," I sighed in relief. "Let's go home, Baby." I gently picked her up, she wrapped her arms and legs around me, and buried her head in my neck. We stayed like that as we walked all the way home._

XXX

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Carla muttered while still writing furiously on her little notepad.

"I have a single father as a neighbor..." Her head shot up at my words. Her blue eyes wide, I wasn't sure if it was from worry or just curiosity. I looked away from her and watched the rain pour down her squeaky clean windows.

"She's doesn't scream or cry with him. In fact, she crawls into his lap and goes to sleep, hugs his legs, or stomps her feet when he leaves without her. He even taught her to play the piano the first time they meet. How is that possible? My father couldn't even give her hug for the first few months yet this man has her giggling and smiling in seconds. I don't get it. How can he do that?" I ranted, a lump rose in my throat and my body was shaking.

"Would you like a glass of water, Bella?" Carla asked. She handed me a box of tissues, I hadn't realized that I was crying or how much this really did affect me.

"No thank you," I sniffed.

"You said your neighbor was a single father. To a boy or girl?"

"Boy," I answered. Where was she going with this?

"How old is he?"

"Anthony's five, the same age as Leah."

"And does Leah react to him? Does she play with him?"

"Yes, she does. They have grown quite close rather quickly. I think that she may even speak to him." This caused Carla to quirk a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Really? What makes you think that?"

"He knew her name before I spoke to him, and he mentioned to Edward about James." I whispered suddenly feeling very tired.

"Edward? As in Edward Cullen?" Her face lit up.

"Um, yeah, he's my neighbor."

"Has Leah spoken to Edward?"

"No, just Anthony, I think. I haven't asked him yet?" I finished.

"Okay, well, Bella, I'm afraid that our time is up for today. I know we didn't get much covered, but this was to get know one another and for me to meet Leah. I know you went to school with my sister in law, Jessica. But I promise you that everything we discuss within these walls will stay between us." I nodded, I had guessed about her being related to Jessica somehow. This town was too small for her not to know who I was before today.

"If this makes you uncomfortable in any way, or if you would like to be transfer to another member of staff I could arranged that for you at any time. However I do hope that will not be the case." She smiled.

I smiled back at her, "Thank you."

"Your next appointment is on Wednesday. I would like to spend a little more time with Leah and get to know her a little better." I nodded again.

I collected our belongings and was just about to leave when she called me.

"As for Leah being comfortable with Edward, it may be that Edward is a father. If she did speak to Anthony or maybe because Anthony looks so much like him, she was put at ease knowing that he had a child of his own." She explained. "Anthony is a naturally happy child and is his bond with his father would have been picked up from Leah by his words and actions towards his father. She trusts Edward as he has a happy and loving child that she knows has never been hurt by him."

I must have still looked confused as she just patted my shoulder and said, "Think about it," before saying her goodbyes.

Thinking about it was all I did for the rest of the morning. Could it be that simple. She trusts Edward because he is a father. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. Everyone else was either strangers or men who didn't have children. But that did not explain how she was still scared of Emmett, Jasper and my dad for the first month. I wonder if she would have been scared of Edward six months ago just like the rest.

We arrived at Esme's a little after two. Esme had called yesterday inviting us for lunch today. I had not managed to get over and see her or Carlise since I got home, so I gladly took up her invitation.

Her house looked just like I remembered it, all white and unique.

"Hello, Bella. It's so good to see you," Esme gushed as we entered her hall. "Oh my, you look beautiful as always, Leah." She knelt down and whispered. Unfortunately, Leah has inherited my blush, which graced her cheeks.

"Belllaa," Anthony yelled, jumping down each step from upstairs.

"Hey pants," I waved. "I didn't know you were here today."

"Daddy's working," he giggled. He gave Leah a small wave which she returned with enthusiasm.

"Come one kids, I've made pasta for lunch." They both giggled and ran into the kitchen.

Lunch was simple and refreshing. The kids helped Esme make lunch before disappearing to Anthony's play room. I helped Esme clean up and then we settled in her living room with our coffee and cake.

"Bella, you have no idea how happy I am that you're home. Carlisle and I have been wishing for years that you'd move back here with Leah."

"I know. I wish I had done it soon. Leah is so much happier here." I mumbled around cake.

Esme tugged her caramel hair behind her ears. I could see Edward in her now; they have almost the same color of hair. Edward's is a little lighter, but they also have the same eyes, both beautifully green. I can also see where Edward gets his gentle nature from.

"Anthony has not stopped talking about you and Leah. He thinks the world of you... both my boys do." She winked and smirked. My blush returned in full force. I prayed that Esme didn't get her hopes up about Edward and me. I didn't want to disappoint her; she's like a mother to me.

"Anthony is an amazing little boy, and Edward has been very kind to us. Leah adores him."

Esme smiled. "He talks about her a lot. I was a quite shocked when he told me about her playing the piano and how comfortable she is with him."

"I know, Carla says that it might be because he is a father, so she thinks that he won't hurt children, and she trusts him through Anthony."

"Huh, really? I'll have to run that theory with Carlisle. He might be able to make more sense of that." She muttered quietly to herself.

"When will he be home. I was wondering if I could borrow some of his books." Esme had mentioned that Carlisle had been doing a lot of reading about child trauma since Leah was kidnapped. My heart swelled when Esme told me that. He loved my daughter and wanted to help her get better.

"He doesn't finish until about five, maybe you could both stay for dinner? I know Carlisle is dying to see Leah, and Edward is off duty at three so we can all have dinner together." Esme beamed as if she has just discovered the cure to cancer. I had to laugh at her motherly smile.

"Sure, why not." The clock on the fireplace read quarter to three, which meant that Edward would be here very soon. The thought brought butterflies to my stomach and they got worse every time I looked at the clock, counting the minutes down.

After what felt like five hours later, I heard Edward pull in front of the house. I took a few deep breaths and tried to act causal. _Why was I so nervous?_

"Anthony, Leah," he yelled as soon as the door opened. "Get your little tushies down here." I guessed he noticed my car.

I couldn't see what was happening, my legs refused to move from the sofa that I was currently glued too. But I could hear the thuds as they made their way down the stairs.

"Daddy."

"Hey, buddy, I missed you."

"Missed you too."

"There's my princess. God, I missed you too, my girl."

"Daddy, can Leah come to the beach on Sunday?"

"Um, maybe, jump up Leah."

"Ready, guys, where's Bella?"

"In here," I yelled out.

Anthony was the first to run into the living room, his face covered in pen marks. "Daddy's home," he smiled before standing between my legs. My arms moved without my permission and wrapped around him.

"Hello, Love," Edward greeted me. Leah was hanging on his back, giggling into his neck every time he bounced.

"Hey."

"Oh, good, Edward, you're back." Esme gushed as she entered the living room. I was just glazing the chicken for dinner.

"Sounds great, Mom," he dipped down and kissed her cheek making Leah giggle even more.

"I actually wanted to talk to you and Anthony about something." He announced.

"Oh, why don't Leah and I go and set the table." I did try to get up by my legs still wouldn't move.

"It's okay, Bella. I don't want you to leave." I could see the desperation in his eyes. He was concerned about something.

I nodded my head and he gave me a small grin.

He sat down on the floor, Leah slid of his back with ease. "Anthony, how do you feel about spending the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa?"

I felt his body tense in my arms. "All weekend?" He whispered.

"Edward, what's going on?" Esme broke in, concern laced in her voice.

"Emmett needs my help with something, and I was hoping Anthony could stay here while I was away."

"What's happened with Emmett?" I asked.

Edward looked from his mother to me. "I don't know what's happened. He just said that he needed my help and it involved a road trip. Don't you know?" I shook my head.

"Of course he can stay here Edward. A road trip would be good for you. You don't get out enough." Esme interrupted our staring.

"Daddy? Can Leah stay too?"

"Eh, Bella?" My body tensed. I was not sure if Leah would be comfortable staying here.

"Leah? Would you like to spend the night here with Anthony, me and Carlisle?" Esme asked her. She nodded yes, but I was still unsure.

"Would it be okay with you, Bella? If she gets uncomfortable at any point, I will call you straight away and bring her home."

"Please, Bella." Anthony begged. I guess I could try it, it's only one night. I looked around at the three sets of eyes pleading with me.

"Okay, we can try it."

"Yeah," Anthony yelled and both kids started jumping around. Edward chuckled at their little dances.

"Edward?" He turned to me. His beautiful face lit from excitement, he was excited about this road trip. I guessed it must be hard for him to get away being a single parent. "Would it be okay for Anthony to stay at my house on Saturday? You could pick him up when you come back, and I could take them to the beach like he wanted." I blushed. _Please say yes._

"Sounds like a plan," he grinned.

"Anthony you want to stay at Bella's tomorrow night? And then the next day I'll be home."

Anthony stopped dancing and stared at his father in fear. Oh God, he doesn't want to. He looked so scared. I could feel my eyes well up, feeling rejected by a five year old.

"You'll be gone, two nights?" Anthony's eyes were matching my own.

"Yeah, Buddy, that's the weekend. But it's only two nights, two sleeps and I'll be back."

"Two sleeps, one here and one at Bella's?" Tears were now flowing down his adorable face. I realized that this wasn't about staying with me. Anthony was scared of being away from his father for that long. That new knowledge just made the tears come faster.

"Yep, doesn't that sound like fun? You can play with Leah all weekend and we'll talk on the phone every day."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Buddy." Anthony was satisfied with that answer and after a quick hug he was back dancing around the living room. Edward was a different story. Now he looked scared and upset.

Esme went back to glazing the chicken, and I wanted to get the excitement back into his eyes.

"Edward?"

He turned to me. His face filled with pain. I moved onto the floor and sat beside him.

"He'll be fine, Edward?" He sighed loudly but didn't answer. Instead he slowly moved his hand over and took hold of mind. "I know this is just new for us. Thank you Bella, I'll sleep better knowing he's with you and Leah." He gave me his crooked smile.

I looked at our hands joined together. I didn't feel uncomfortable or nervous.

I felt calm and tingly. I liked the new found friendship.

Edward lay down on his back pulling my hand with him.

"Now, tell me how therapy went?" And I did. I lay down next to him on Esme's cozy cream carpet and retold Carla's theory. I even told him my own worries and theories and he told me his. He never let go of my hand and would squeeze it every time I felt my emotions get the better of me.

Time flew by.

"Grandpa's home," Anthony yelled.

I looked up and almost died in embarrassment. Carlisle was standing in the doorway with Anthony and Leah in both arms. "Evening, kids," he chuckled and walked out of the room.

Edward looked at me and burst out laughing, "You're red as a beetroot, Love."

"Shut up," I smacked his chest with my free hand which made him laugh even more. His laugh was infectious, and I was soon joining him. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so carefree.

"Daddy, Bella, dinner's ready," Anthony echoed through the hall.

"Come on, Love, let's get you fed." He helped me up, and we made our way to the Kitchen.

For the first time in months, I felt light, relaxed and very happy.

XXX

_**Please Read**_

_**There are lots of houses being build and taken down in my area. Right now, I am not online so I'm using the libraries computer which is a little diffcult, therefore I can not reply quickly to your reviews. I will read them and will reply the best I can. Updates will be roughly once a fortnight. For anyone who is reading Please Remember Me, I am struggling to get Lostward to talk. I have tried everyday and so far no luck. Fingers crossed I get something soon.**_

_**Thank you for all the lovely comments and review, please keep them coming. BB**_


	14. Chapter 12 part 1

**_Hey guys, I know it's been awhile. I'm so sorry. I'm internet's still off but the builders have promised that it will be fixed soon._**

**_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews :-)_**

**_Thanks to my beta cedward2417._**

**_xxx_**

Chapter 12: Part 1

Daddyward

_She licked her lips and smiled up at me- her brown eyes swirled with lust._

_I reached out to touch her; her skin felt like silk– all soft and feminine._

"_Bella," I pulled her body on top of mine. Her pale legs straddled each side of me. Her hands tugged my hair tightly, and my nose burrowed in her neck. Her scent was overwhelming with her cherry scented shampoo and lotion._

_I was lost in my own personal heaven._

"_Edward." She bit my ear while moaning into it, making me ache more._

_I needed her. I needed to be inside her._

"_Love, please." I tugged her silk nightie over her head, leaving her naked and glorious in front of me._

_My hands went straight to her breasts; massaging, tugging, biting, licking, making her squirm and wriggle against my body._

_I knew I was naked. I have no idea how, but I didn't care._

_I had the women of my dreams naked and she made my body play like an orchestra. Every touch, every kiss, every moan; was building together to create the greatest masterpiece that had ever been created._

"_Oh, Bella, Love," I grunted in pleasure as her hand covered my erection._

"_Edward, I want you," she purred, stroking me. My hips bucked and I grabbed her neck and pulled her to me, kissing her with everything I had._

"_Now, Edward. I need you inside of me now."_

"_God, yes, Bella," I muttered lifting up enough so that she slid gracefully over me. Her muscles- warm, slick, and wet grabbed me like their lives depended it on. I was home._

"_Bella, you feel so good, Love," I mumbled into her neck as she moved above me. I have never felt something so amazing in my life._

_My name fell from her lips as my body gave her pleasure. It sent my heart into overdrive, beating quicker than normal._

_Our hands roamed. Our mouths roamed. Our bodies worked in sync, creating a perfect rhythm and filling our senses and hearts._

"_Bella, I, I,"_

"GET OUT THE WAY, YOU FUCKING DOUCHE," the car horn blasted through my ears. I jumped forward hitting my head on the car door window and my legs on the dashboard.

I was no longer wrapped in Bella's warmth. _Fuck._

Instead, I found myself confused and slightly disoriented before I remembered my road trip.

"Finally awake, Eddie boy?" Emmett laughed and pressed the horn again.

"How long was I asleep?" I looked out the window to see where we were.

"About an hour or so," he smirked. "So Eddie's got a little crush on little Bell, eh?"

I felt my eyes widen in shocked. I was not ashamed of my feelings for Bella; I just didn't think I was that obvious.

"Oh Bella... Bella...," he moaned and started making kiss noises.

God, I was so embarrassed. I must have been talking in my sleep.

"Shut up, Em, what are we, ten?" I punched him in the arm. "Leave me alone."

Jasper 's laughter filled the car. I had forgotten that he was there. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Aww, Eddie, I think you're so cute- you and little Bell. Does she know about your crush?" He laughed.

"Shut the fuck up, Emmett; and yes she knows I like her. But she's not ready for a relationship. We've decided to be friends for now."

Emmett grew quiet and his face was very serious. "Who said anything about a relationship? Ever heard of friends with benefits?"

"Bella wouldn't go for that, Emmett." Jasper voiced.

"You know Bella?" I turned around and asked him. I still knew very little about this man, in fact I didn't know anything at all.

"Yes, I've know her for years. She doesn't need a relationship or a hook up right now." His voice was laced with determination and possibly jealously.

My mind started wondering with images of Jasper and Bella. Somewhere in my heart I knew that nothing had happened between them; but I got the vibe that that was not by Jasper's choice. I looked back out the window, I didn't want them to see my jealously with that new knowledge.

"Bella needs to get laid. YOU need to get laid," Emmett voiced.

"Well, I don't want just a hook up. We've talked about it. I know she's attracted to me, but right now she needs to focus on her and Leah. So we're just going to be friends."

It was Emmett's turn to fill the car with his laughter. "Bro, you and Bella have never and will never be just friends. Friends do not look at each other the way you's did the other morning. The whole diner could feel the sexual tension. But you're right, little Bell is not ready yet," he rambled and then took a deep breath before continuing his rant. "But, Edward, don't just sit around and wait. Bella needs a bit of a push- she needs someone else to show her what's right in front of her. I'm not saying that you should just jump the poor girl, but don't sit around and become her best friend because she'll get comfortable; then she'll be too scared to change anything- she'll settle for being friends."

"I have thought of that Emmett. That's why I have agreed to being friends, and I think that we can hopefully make a great foundation. But I'm not going to hide my feelings completely from her- I won't force her either Emmett."

"I know, I'm not saying that Edward."

"I know," I whispered back.

We all grew quiet, lost in our own thoughts for a moment.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?" I asked. I was getting a little frustrated about the lack of information they had given me about this road trip. All they have told me so far was that we were going to help Jasper's sister, and that it would take all weekend. I'm guessing that she has been involved with a sick bastard who beats up women as Emmett mentioned Alice's situation with James; but that was all I knew.

"What do think Jazz, should we tell him?" Emmett asked.

I gave him what my sister called the 'death' glare. I liked to call it the 'fuck you' glare.

"I think it's safe now, we'll be there by morning." Morning? Where the fuck were we going?

"Alright, but you have to promise that you will not say anything to Bella." It was Emmett's turn to give me the 'I'm serious' face.

"Bella? What does she have to do with this?" Now I was very interested. If this had anything to do with Bella, then I wanted in.

"Because we're going to save Rosie," Emmett answered; his voice was low and vulnerable.

"Rosie, as in the girl Bella lived with in Phoenix?" I remembered Emmett telling me about her briefly the night I first met Leah. He got this far away look, dreamy smile, and twinkle in his eye. This told me that he cared a lot about this Rosie. I knew now that I was completely wrong about Emmett's feelings towards Bella, but maybe I had misread him all along, and it was Rosie that he was in love with. I guess I would find out when I got to see them together.

"Yeah," he sighed.

Jasper piped up, "She's been dating this douche for a few years now. I never liked him, but Rose was smitten and one of the things about Rose is that you can't tell her what to do. If I told her to stay away from him, then she would do the opposite. Anyway, Royce has always been a bit controlling, but last year I found out that he'd been hitting her and treating her like shit. I was ready to kill him, but she begged me not too, she told me that she would leave him." I could see the pain on Jasper's face as he filled me in.

I knew how he was feeling, but the difference between us was that I got to beat the shit out of the guy that hurt my sister. Jasper hadn't. Instead he had to sit on the fence line and watch his sister get hurt.

Jasper continued, "When Bella moved in with Rose, it stopped. Rose swears that he had changed and that he was treating her, 'like a princess.' Rose was happy, and I never saw anymore bruises so I let it go. I got a call from St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix last night. She has three broken ribs, a broken leg, fractured hand, and whatever bruises he had left on her body. Dr. Meyer said that she's lucky to be alive. Her neighbor got worried as she sees her everyday and went to check on her. She had been lying in her own pool of blood for three days, Edward. Three days- he fucking left her to die," his voice broke at the end.

I didn't know what to say about Rose. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about what she had been through. My thoughts went to Bella and Leah- they would have known this man. He would have been in the same room as them, maybe even stayed in their house. Now I wanted to kill this guy.

I was starting to collect quite a list of men that I wanted to take off this earth. I wondered how Jasper and Emmett would feel about going on a little murder spree; one guy each. Jasper could have Royce, Emmett could have James and I'll have... James. Two James's? It was just a coincidence, right? Two James's? James is a popular name after all. What would the chances be of two guys named James, that lived a few hundred miles away from each other, and both who have been beating up woman be?

"Hey, guys, is it weird that both Bella and Alice were attacked by a guy named James?" I questioned. I wanted to make sure that I was not going a bit crazy.

"What was Alice's James's surname?" Jasper asked while looking thoughtfully out the window.

"Huh, Dawson, I think." I noticed Emmett's body stiffen and I knew in that moment that I wasn't crazy. I had just hit the jackpot.

"James Dawson? Short blonde hair, a little scruffy, and always wearing too much cologne?" Emmett asked clenching his jaw together.

"His hair was long blonde, but the rest sounds about right. I had only met him two times, and the second time I was too angry to take in his appearance beforehand. I couldn't see much of his face after from all of the blood."

I'm not an angry person. I don't go around getting into fights, and beating up random men whenever I feel like. In fact, I have only hit a guy three times in my life. The first time was when I was in high school. I was really skinny and very shy in high school. My hair was bright orange, and I wore bruises until I was seventeen. There was one boy named Simon who would take great pleasure in making my day as unbearable as possible. He would trip me up, put glue on my chair, pushed me into lockers- anything he could do, he would. But because of him, I learned how to fight. I grew myself a thicker layer of skin and became a fighter. If I wanted something in life, I would fight for it. When I wanted to join the school's basketball team, I joined the gym, got a private coach, and spent my summer before my senior year working out and training. When I wanted to get into Harvard, I spent my days with my nose in a text book and studied until I had the grades and my acceptance letter. I became a fighter and it was something that I was not about to give up. However, I also became a different type of fighter. I learned how to throw a punch and take down a man that was twice my weight. I gave Simon two broken ribs and a busted lip on my first day of senior year. He never bullied me again – no one did.

The second man I had punched was Jane's lawyer. He was trying to get my consent for Jane to kill my child, but I refused and I lost my temper with his petty comments and prejudgment towards rich people.

James was man number three.

"Wait, I thought you went with him?" Jasper asked Emmett.

"I did, but I was watching the door, making sure that no one could get in to help him. Eddie here, wanted to do it himself. I was just a backup." He smirked. I knew that he was proud of me that day. Emmett loved Alice as if she was his own sister, and it killed him to see her that way.

"But didn't you ever see him when he was with Alice?"

"Nah, they weren't together long enough for me to see them."

"So how do we know if it is the same guy?" Jasper asked.

That was one question that I had been dying to ask, but I was too much of a coward to ask Bella; and it didn't feel right to ask anyone else – until now. It was the perfect opportunity to find out the one thing I really wanted to know.

I turned away from the passing cars and faced Emmett, he was rattling ideas off from Jasper's question, but my brain was too focused on my own question to pay any attention.

"Emmett?"

"Yeah."

"Where is James now? Is he in prison?" I held my breath. He had to be in prison. There is no way he would be set free after everything he had done. He kidnapped a little girl from her babysitter's house, and then held her and her mother hostage.

"Yeah, he is now." He sighed deeply. I watched his face as he grew more worried as the day went on.

"Now?"

"He managed to disappear after Bella got her and Leah out of that house. It took them five weeks to find him." Emmett vented, his anger was seeping through each word.

"He got denied bail, but we're still waiting on the court date before we know how the bastard will be sentenced."

I didn't say anything to him- I had no words to bring any comfort. But it was an opening that I could use to bring the topic up with Bella eventually. I had always wanted to hear her tell me what happened. It was her story after all, and I wanted her to open her heart to me.

However, I knew that I was not being fair. Bella had already shared so much with me, and I have not shared anything with her- at least nothing about Anthony and Jane. But how do I tell her that Anthony was born in prison? That I paid his mother to give me full custody and stay out of his life. That every time she calls I pay her some more– praying that she would finally sign away her rights to him. What does that say about me? Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing with Jane. Anthony deserved to have a mother, but when she calls, I'm reminded of the reasons I have done what I have.

When I see Bella with him, I feel guilty and excited at the same time. He has become attached to her so quickly, and loves the attention that she gives him.

"I think we should stop here and grab something to eat before I fade away." Emmett grumbled while breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Sure," I mumbled back, suddenly wishing I was back at home.

The weather had dramatically changed since we left Forks; there were no grey clouds, foggy air, and damp grounds; instead the sky was cloudy white, the air fresh and warm, and the ground was dry and crackly. It felt great to be away from the rain for a bit, I just wish that I had my son with me. I knew I would miss him, but I didn't realize just how much. I was working most of the day and even though I got to see him a little bit before I left, I was not enough. I had also missed his bedtime. That was the one time of day that I made sure I spent with my son every day, and tonight was the first time I had not been there. I did call him after his bath and made up a story for him and Leah though the phone, but it wasn't the same.

I wonder how Bella is handling it? I knew she went home not long after I left. I wonder what she's doing with her free time?

With Bella still on my mind, I quickly grabbed some chips and a soda before sneaking away from Emmett and Jasper. I opened my phone and dialed the number. She answered after two rings which made my heart flutter.

_"Hello."_

"Hey, Bella. It's Edward." I mumbled shyly while kicking around the stones on the ground. I don't know why I was suddenly acting shy around this woman.

_"Hey, Edward, how's your road trip?"_ She replied with a smile in her voice.

"Good, I just thought I'd give you a call and see how you're doing without Leah there?" It was meant to be a statement, but it somehow came out like a question.

_"I'm fine,"_ she giggled, "_I'm just unpacking the rest of my stuff. I was thinking about decorating this place. Everything's plain and cream, and I want it to feel homey and excited. Right now it just looks plain and boring, but I start work on Monday and I don't think I'll have time to get it done,"_ she rambled. I tried not to laugh, but was unsuccessful.

_"It's not funny Edward, this is our home. I want Leah to feel at home."_

"Love, Leah will feel at home as long as you're there. That's all that matters. But if you want I'm not back to work until a week on Monday, why don't I help with your house. I don't have anything to do when Anthony's at school, and I'm sure my mom would love to help."

_"Edward, I can't ask you to do that,"_ she sighed. I smiled to myself. The thought of spending a whole week in Bella's house was like a dream come true. It would require me to spend a lot of time with Bella and Leah deciding what color to do the living room or kitchen, and I could finally get Mom's hands on Leah's bedroom.

"You're not asking, Love, I'm offering, and I'm not taking no for an answer." I stressed. I could hear Emmett calling me. "I have to go- I'll call later or in the morning if that's okay?" I held my breath, waiting for her to answer.

_"That's okay,"_ she finally answered.

"Great," I let the breath I was holding out, "I'll speak to soon, Love."

_"Okay, goodnight, Edward,"_ she breathed down the phone.

"Goodnight, Bella." I closed the phone and walked around the corner from the side wall. Emmett was standing beside the car while Jasper was pacing in front of the shop, talking on his phone.

I made my way over to the car, opening up my soda.

"Why do you look like the cat that got the cream?" Emmett grinned, dimples and all. I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of my soda, hoping Emmett would leave me alone.

"Alright, don't tell me. I'll just phone Bella and she'll tell me." He chuckled. I gave him another shrug; I knew he wouldn't do that to Bella. He wouldn't embarrass her the way he does me... at least I hoped he wouldn't.

Jasper's voice caught my attention. He was trying to keep himself under control, but I could tell that he was losing his patience with whoever he was talking too. "Is he okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's just really worried about Rose."

"What's the plan anyway?" I asked. "You do have one right?" I leaned against the car next to him. I didn't want by-passers to hear our conversation.

"Sort of. I know that we're going to the hospital first to get Rose, and take her to a hotel while he hunts down Royce." Emmett sneered when saying his name.

"Well that's a start."

"Argh," Jasper yelled. His long bendy legs stormed over to the car. I opened my mouth to say something, but was cut off by the slamming of the car door. I looked at Emmett who just shrugged, and got in the car.

"What's happened Jazz?" Emmett asked after about another half an hour drive in complete silent.

"Rose has checked herself out of the hospital AMA, and no one has any idea where she has gone." He huffed in a temperamental way. I was not sure if he was frustrated with Rose's action or with the whole situation. I knew he was worried about her, and I could see him clenching his hands every so often- helping him control his anger. I even saw Emmett grip the car wheel a few times while huffing out his nose.

The car was filled with comfortable silence for the rest of the drive; Emmett had doubled his speed so that we could reach Phoenix tonight. My mind was filled with plans of what I really wanted in life. When I was in Bella's house and saw all those beautiful photos she had taken, and listened to how passionate she was about her work, it made me think about my own life.

When I met Jane I was in cutlery school training to become a chef. But all that changed the moment I decided that I wanted to raise Anthony by myself. The day that I left Chicago and moved to Forks -I left my dream of becoming a chef behind. Things were changing now, Anthony started school next week, and I wondered if it was time that I made changes with my career.

"So what's the plan now, Jazz?" I asked, "Are we going to look for Rose?"

"It's late, maybe it's best to check into a hotel right now, get some sleep, and start fresh in the morning." Emmett voiced. I nodded my head with agreement. I wanted to rest and call Bella again, but at the same time, if this girl was badly hurt, or if Royce was dangerous and could really hurt her, then I wanted to find her now. I wanted to make sure she was safe.

I voiced this concern to them, and we agreed to check into the hotel and then try to find Rose. Jasper gave me a smile that showed that he was grateful that I wanted to help find Rose.

We checked into a hotel that Jasper recommended just after eleven. I was excited to see the town where Leah was born and lived for the last few years. But I was feeling uneasy about having to lie to Bella. Jasper and Emmett both agreed that it was best not to tell her where we were or what we were here for. I understood why they didn't want to tell her, but I knew that she was going to ask when I called. I didn't want to lie to her, but I couldn't tell her the truth.

_"Hello,"_ she answered groggily.

"Hey, sorry Love, did I wake you?" I felt bad that I left it so late to call her.

_"No, I was awake. I think everything is just catching up with me. How's the trip? Where are you?"_ She asked.

I sat down on the bed in my room, trying to get as comfortable as possible. "It's alright; we've just been driving so far- nothing exciting yet. Did you get everything unpacked and put away?" I asked trying to dodge her questions.

_"Yeah, it's amazing what you can get done if you're left alone."_

"Did you think about my offer earlier?"

_"Argh, Edward,"_ she moaned in frustration.

"Yes, Love?"

_"Are you sure you want to spend your week off painting my house?"_

"I can't think of a better way to spend my time." I grinned.

_"Alright, I'll talk with Esme tomorrow when I pick the kids up."_ My grin grew wider and butterflies filled my stomach at the way she said 'the kids.' It made me think of us as a family. _A guy could dream, right._

"Great. How about when I get back on Sunday, we can all go out for dinner and then we can discuss what you want to do to the house?" I asked feeling very excited.

_"That sounds great Edward."_ I heard her yawn through the phone.

"I think someone needs their bed," I chuckled. "I have to get back to the boys anyway. Can I call you tomorrow?"

_"Of course, I was thinking of taking the kids to the movies tomorrow. Do you think Anthony would like that?"_

"Yeah, he loves the movies. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Beautiful."

_"Good night Edward,"_ she whispered making my body hum.

"Good night, Bella," I whispered back.

The room was quiet, lonely. The curtains were opened- allowing the moon light to cast over the bed. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so alone, even though Emmett and Jasper were just next door.

I didn't have time to dwell in my pity party as Emmett banged on my door, telling me to get my ass moving.

It was going to be a long night.

xxx

_**I know you have more questions now and they will get answered very soon. **_

_**Next chapter;**_

_**A search for Rose. A very drunk Edward. Emmentt arested and Jasper wakes up with a black eye. **_

_**Sound good?**_


	15. chapter 12 part 2

**Yes, you don't need your eyes tested. This is an update. Hey guys, for those of you who don't know I broke my hand in eight places end of last year and it has taken months to correctly heal. I have struggled to keep up with Uni work and even lost my job because of it. But things are looking up now.**

**Anyway, a huge thank you to everyone who left me messages, you guys made my dark days brighter :-) You may want to go back and re-read the last chapter, just to refresh your memory.**

**Thank you to my beta as always. I don not own Twilight but I do own Speak.**

Speak

Chapter 12- Part 2

Daddyward

_I didn't have time to dwell in my pity party as Emmett banged on my door, telling me to get my ass moving._

_It was going to be a long night._

XXX

**Sunday Morning- 40 Hours Later**

My mind slowly awoke. I could feel something cold, hard, almost like marble on my face. I tried to open my eyes but they wouldn't obey, instead I slowly moved my legs that were stiff and very sore.

A groan escaped my mouth and again I tried to open my eyes, but again they refused. My arms were heavy and my head felt light and dizzy. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Music suddenly blasted somewhere close by. I grabbed my head in pain, I felt like my head was about to explode from the music that was playing... music? I moved my head towards the music – bad idea. I could feel the room start to spin with my eyes closed.

The music finally stopped and I took a deep breath. The coldness on my face was refreshing, but it felt too hard and uncomfortable. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around very slowly.

I was alone, in a bathroom.

My head had been on the toilet and from the smell of it, I'm sure my stomach had been in it.

The music started again. It was very close. It took me a couple of minutes before I realized that the music was a ring tone- my ring tone. I pulled my phone from my jean pocket and smiled to myself. It was Bella.

"Morning," I croaked out.

"DADDY!" Anthony yelled into my ear. _Argh, yelling, not the best thing this morning._

"Hey, Buddy, you don't have to shout at me, I can hear you."

"Okay," he giggled, "you coming home today? You said two sleeps and it's been two sleeps. Bella said your coming home today."

I can hear the panic in his voice which made my heart ache. Things had changed very quickly this week and they would change even more in the next few weeks. Not only is my little boy growing up and starting school, but we have gained two neighbors who I hoped would become a big part of our lives.

"Of course I am buddy, I'm not sure what time, but I'll make sure Uncle Emmett drives really fast. Are you behaving for Bella?" I asked, leaning back on the toilet.

"Yeah, we can't go to the beach because it's raining. Bella says it's a heavy rain."

"Oh that's a shame; we'll just have to go another day." I replied.

"Bella and Leah too?" He asked.

"Yeah, Buddy, we can all go." I took a deep breath trying to keep the nausea at bay.

"Is Bella there?"

"Uh huh, she's cooking us waffles with strawberries and cream, Daddy. I like cream..." he broke off for a second, "Leah asked if you're almost home?"

I smiled at the thought of Leah talking to Anthony. I had told Bella that Leah spoke to Anthony and what she has said so far. She was happy that she finally talked to someone, but I knew she wished it was her. I can't imagine not hearing Anthony call my name or not chat to him whenever I wanted. It would kill me to lose that part of our relationship. I just had hope that things would change for the better for them - they both deserved it.

"Tell her I'm leaving very soon and can you put Bella on the phone please, Buddy?"

"Okay, tell Uncle Em to go really fast, like Batman fast."

"I will, son, I love you," I chuckled which did not help the major headache I had.

"Love you, too."

"Hello," Bella's voice replaced my son's.

"Morning, Beautiful." I croaked.

"How are you feeling this morning? Hangover?" She asked.

"A little." _A lot._

"You were really drunk," she giggled. I guess I called her last night. I can't remember calling her... then again I can't remember very much.

"Shit, what did I…"

"Eddie, you awake?" A female voiced called from the bedroom.

_What the fuck?_

"Edward?" Bella asked, alerting me that she heard the female voice.

"Um, I, I…" I stuttered.

"Eddie?" The women called again before she appeared from behind the bathroom door, wearing nothing but one of my t- shirts. _What the fuck?_

"Um," I wanted to ask who she was and why she was wearing my clothes, but the words would not come out of my mouth.

"There you are?" She muttered sweetly. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail; her eyes smudged with make-up, her face patchy from sleeping with her foundation and her body; very small, all bones, no curves or anything. She was everything I didn't like in a woman.

"I'm going to go since you have company this morning." Bella's tight voice hit my ears.

"Bella, wait!" I yelled into the phone, panicked by her voice. But she was gone. Shit.

What have I done? Have I really thrown away my chance with the only woman I have ever had any real feelings for, before we have even begun? For what? A woman that I struggled to even look at?

Something wasn't right. This wasn't me. I don't just pick random women to sleep with.

Besides I don't like blondes.

"What is that smell?" The woman wriggled her nose in disgust. Instead of answering her; I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. I wished I could remember last night; my mind was still coming up blank.

"Argh, it smells of sick. Flush that toilet, brush your teeth, and then you can join me in the shower." She winked before bending over to turn the shower on, giving me a view of red lace panties.

I turned my head away from the awful view. She had nothing on my Bella. My Bella was a woman; with womanly curves, beautiful long legs, hips that I couldn't wait to get my hands on, an ass that I dreamt about every night, breasts that would fit perfectly in my hands, eyes that I got lost in, a face so beautiful I couldn't look away, and long brown hair that I wanted to run my fingers through.

There was no way I could be with anyone else.

"Eddie, are you coming in." The woman purred from inside the shower, my t-shirt now lay next to me on the floor.

"Fuck, no!" I grunted.

"Glad to hear." I looked up to find Jasper leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded in front of his chest. He was sporting a black eye and there was a burst lip on the smirk he was wearing.

"What the fuck happened to you?"

He raised his left eyebrow at me. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head, "I don't remember anything."

"Maybe you shouldn't drink so much next time. Come on I'll fill you on the way to the station."

"Station?"

"Yeah, Emmett's been arrested. Let's hope that Charlie can get his ass out of this mess," he chuckled.

"Shit. If Charlie's involved it can't be good…"

"Will you boys hurry up and get in here. There's plenty of room for the three of us." The mystery woman pulled the shower curtain open. She was completely naked and wet.

I shuddered and stuck my head back into the toilet where the rest of my stomach emptied. Jasper's laughter made my headache worse.

I groaned in pain.

I just wanted to go home.

**Friday Night- 40 Hours Earlier**

"Where are we going first?" Jasper asked. We were back in the car, Emmett was still driving over the limit but at least he was no longer using the siren. I wouldn't want to be him if Charlie found out he used it all the way here.

"I'll drop you off at the hospital so you can find out how badly her injuries really are. Eddie and I will go to Rose's; hopefully she's gone back home." Jasper just nodded in agreement.

Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of a very large stereotypical white picketed fence house. It had white shutters on the windows, a rocking chair on the porch, all it needed was a large tree in the back garden and it would be my dream house. Ever since Anthony was born I have always dreamed of owning a house like this one. I could envision kids running around, chasing a dog as I sat on the porch watching my family. What didn't surprise me was that now I could see Anthony and Leah chasing the dog while Bella took photos of them playing. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I was getting ahead of myself again, I needed to slow down. There was only two ways this could go if I didn't; Bella would admit her feelings but I would become too intense and clingy so she would leave me, or Bella would shut me down completely. Either way, it's my heart that would be destroyed- mine and Anthony's if I didn't play this right.

The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. There was a long hallway which was warm and inviting. I walked into the living room, trying to find anything that showed that Bella or Leah had lived here once. It didn't take long before I found photos of them; one with Bella and a blonde woman who I guessed was Rosalie, baby pictures of Leah, there was one with Emmett sitting on the couch with Rose in his lap. They looked very much like a happy couple. Next to it was one of Bella and very tall, tanned man. I wondered if he was Leah's father- I could see Leah's features in him. I paused at the last one; it was Emmett holding a very smiling Leah, she had her arms around his neck and their heads were pressed together.

"Cute, eh?" Emmett whispered behind me.

"Yeah, she looks so happy."

"She was- that was taken at her birthday party last year."

"Tell me about her Em?" I asked, "What was she like then?"

XXX

_A year and one week ago – Emmett POV_

_Shit, Bella was going to kill me. I was late. I promised her I would be on time, but it's not my fault that the plane was delayed. I've still made it though; I'm here in Phoenix on a Saturday, driving through shit loads of traffic. I had been looking forward to this trip for weeks. I had planned to bring my Anthony with me, but he's sick. He caught the chicken pox, poor kid. Bella would definitely kill me if Leah caught them on her birthday._

_I finally pull onto Bella's street. There were cars everywhere. I spotted Royce's car straight away, which means he came with Rosie. My Rosie._

_I have been in love with Rosalie Hale for years. With her feisty bossy attitude, quick witted mind and God that body. She filled my days and nights with endless dreams of the things I wanted to do to her. But unfortunately, she was dating that prick of a boyfriend, Royce King. He was everything I hated in a person- shallow, selfish, and superficial. He liked having Rose on his arm because of the way it looked. He didn't care about her personally as long as he could parade her around like a trophy he was happy. I still didn't understand how Rose could date someone like him._

_I opened the front door that was covered in pink banners and balloons to find the party in full swing. Kids were running around squealing in joy while adults stood around chatting about anything and everything. I made my way to the kitchen knowing that's where the food was._

"_You are a dead man," Jasper laughed._

_I sighed and placed the box I had on the closest table. "I know, where is Bells?"_

"_On her way to stick her foot up your ass!" I turned to find her leaning against the door frame. Her arms folded across her chest, her brown eyes narrowed in frustration._

"_I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. The plane was delayed and then traffic and…"_

"_Uncle Em, you're here!" Leah interrupted me. She ran straight for me and leaped her whole body into my arms. She was getting a little heavy now. Gone are the days where she could sit on one arm. She was growing up so fast... too fast._

"_Wow, Chipmunk. You're almost as big as mom now." I kissed and hugged her tight. I wished I could see her more. She and Bella were everything to me and I will admit I struggled with them living so far away. Even after all these years, I'm still not used to not seeing Bella every day. Maybe I should move out here? I could pretend to like the overbearing sun and dead forests._

"_I'm five today, Uncle Em."_

"_I know, happy birthday, Mowgli." I tickled her side and was awarded with her giggles._

"_Stop, Baloo, stop," she giggled._

"_Okay, okay," I laughed with he and placed her body back on the ground._

"_Alright, why don't you go and put your present beside the rest, honey. Mom wants to talk to Uncle Em about something." Bella announced._

_Leah looked up at me with excitement. Her mouth and nosed scrunched together reminded me of Jake. He used to do the same thing when he was considering something. "Did you get me a present?"_

"_Look, now it's like this, little britches. All you've got to do is..._

_Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities."_ _Leah joined in with me and we were soon dancing and singing around in the kitchen. I could hear other people laughing with us and Bella covered her face with her hands. She had seen us do this so many times before. It was Leah's fault. She made me sit through that cartoon everyday a few months ago. We copied the dance with Leah following and clapping our hands. I lead right outside in front of everyone. The best part was when I started to rub my back on a small tree that was there. It was one of my favorite memories. Everyone applauded when we had finished making Leah run back inside from the attention. She was her mother's daughter after all._

XXX

The thought of Emmett rubbing himself on a tree was funny and disturbing. It was the way he described Leah that had me captured. She was still the little girl I knew, but the thought of her singing, dancing, and just having fun on her birthday, warmed my heart. I wished that I could hear her sing; I wanted her to say my name so badly. At least Emmett has that memory. He knew what her voice sounded like when she spoke or sang. I didn't have any knowledge of that; but I had faith. I have only known her a week, there was plenty of time for me to hear her.

"Wish I could have been there. Why did you never introduce us Emmett? Why am I only getting to meet them now?" I wondered.

He took a deep sigh and looked back at the photo.

"I don't really know. I guess I was being selfish. Bella never came home often, so when she did, I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. But everything is working out perfectly now. They're back home, where they belong, and when she finally wakes up and marries your sorry ass, we'll all be one big happy family," he laughed. I could feel the heat on my face from his comments. But I couldn't help but smile at the idea.

Our little bubble had burst when a loud noise caught our attention. Emmett took off running out the back door, I quickly followed. The sound of raised voices was coming from the pool house that was beside the main house- I could tell that it was a male and female voice. I guessed- and hoped- that the female was Rosalie.

It was now past midnight. The sky was black, without any stars out. It made me miss Forks, where you could see hundreds of stars at night.

I continued to run; my legs carried me to the door of the pool house where I was quickly stopped by Emmett's huge body.

"Don't come in Emmett," Rosalie whispered. Her voice quivered as she spoke. I looked over Emmett's shoulder. Rosalie was standing in front of a table, pointing a gun at some male. The male- who I assumed was Royce- was sitting on a loveseat. His hands were in the air, surrendering to Rosalie.

"Rosie, what are doing? Put that gun down." Emmett tried to keep his voice soft and sweet, but I could detect a hint of fear in it.

"No, no, Emmett. You don't understand. You don't know what he's done to me. He needs to pay," she babbled.

"I know babe. I know that he... um...abused you and he will be punished Rosalie." He finally got out. My heart clutched at the words.

Emmett moved forward a little- enough for me to get into the room.

"STOP," she screamed at us. I froze in my place. I could see them both so clearly now. My attention rested on Rosalie. Her face was covered in bruises, and her nose was tapped up from where it had been broken. Besides her bruises, I could also see how beautiful she was. Her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail- I spotted large bruises on her neck too. She was dressed in yoga pants and a zipped up hoodie, which probably covered even more of her injuries. From the way she swayed and was putting her weight on one foot suggested that she had some broken ribs and had damaged her knee. She looked so vulnerable and scared. I wanted to grab her and carry her away from here. Take her back to Forks and protect her from the bastard in front of her.

I finally looked at Royce. I clenched my hands into fists from the anger that built in me. This man had been around Bella and Leah. He had slept in this house while my girls were only a few feet away. He put Rosalie in the hospital.

"Rosie, you don't want to go down this road," Emmett tried to reason with her.

"No, he has to pay for what he's done to me," she answered back while shaking the gun in front of Royce's face.

"And he will. I'll make of sure of it." I was unsure of what to do here. Emmett knew this woman, but everything he was saying to her, wasn't working. She was lost in her pain, demanding her own revenge. Could I really blame her? Not really. I beat up my sister's ex-boyfriend in revenge for hurting her, and the thought of actually killing him did cross my mind more than once.

Rosalie laughed at him. "As long as he stays alive I'll never been free from him."

Royce just stared at Rosalie. He didn't say anything, his face now look tired and bored. But I could see the clock ticking in his head. He was waiting; waiting for her to lose her focus for just a second and then he would make his move.

I tried to think of what his next move would be. As much as I hated this man, I didn't want Rosalie to have murder on her hands, or for anyone to die in this situation. I wanted Emmett or myself to take her back to Forks with us where she would be safe.

Emmett moved a fraction of his body forward hoping she wouldn't notice. But she did. "STAY AWAY," she screamed. I could tell that her body was giving out on her. She started to sway a bit. If I hadn't heard so much about this woman, I would think she was bat-shit crazy. She had a weird scary crazy look on her face. I knew I never wanted to be on the wrong side of her with that look.

I decided I needed to do something because Emmett was too close to her. This was hurting him as much as her.

I placed my hand on Emmett's back and moved around him. I could feel his eyes on me, but I ignored him.

"Rosalie, my name is Edward Cullen. I'm friends with Emmett and Bella." I saw her eyes flick to me at the mention of Bella. Maybe this was my way in? "I actually live next door to her and Leah. My son has taken quite a shine to them," I chuckled.

"You have a son?" She asked- her voice was quiet, but full of curiosity. Rosalie was a kid person.

"I do. He's five and suddenly loves making cupcakes." She smiled briefly. I decided that maybe Leah was a better approach. "Leah's a natural on the piano."

I caught Emmett slowly moving from the corner of my eye. He has clicked on to my plan.

"Piano?" She asked still looking at Royce. I could see that I did have her attention though.

"Yep, she's only had one lesson so far, but she rocks at _Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star._" This made her laugh.

Then everything happened quickly. Rosalie looked at me for a just a second, but that was all Royce needed to leap forward and knock Rosalie over. The gun flew out of her hand and under something. I didn't have time to register what it was. I leaped over the chair that was in my way while Emmett ran around it. I headed straight for Rosalie knowing that Emmett wanted a piece of Royce.

"I've got you, you're okay," I whispered to her when I finally reached her. Her whole body was shaking and she clung to me while she sobbed into my chest. I knew in that moment that no matter how strong Rosalie was trying to be, she would never have been able to pull that trigger. I held her close to me and tried to soothe her, the best I could.

"Get the fuck off me," Royce yelled while wrestling Emmett on the floor. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed the Phoenix police.

XXX

I glanced at the clock on the wall. I was exhausted. It was just after four-thirty in the morning, and I was still at the police station. The police had interviewed Rosalie first; however, she was quickly sent back to the hospital when she started bleeding all over their floor. Then they took Emmett and me into different rooms. I was released over an hour ago. Emmett was still in there.

I've done these interviews thousands of times on both sides. I've been interviewed and conducted them; but I'm at a loss as to why Emmett is still in there. It's a straight forward case. Royce admitted to not only almost beating Rosalie to death, but he also raped her twice and threatened to shot her. When she signed herself out of the hospital earlier, she knew where he stored his gun and decided to take things into her own hands.

I was not sure if I admired Rosalie for her bravery or her strength. Maybe it was a bit of both.

"What's that grin about?" Emmett pulled me from my thoughts. "

Eh?"

"You've got a cheesy grin on your face. You thinking about Little Bell?" He replied wiggling his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes and answered, "Actually, I was thinking about Rosalie." I watched his face grow hard. His eyebrows pulled together, and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"My Rosie is off limits to you!" He glared- which made me laugh out loud. "I'm fucking serious, Edward, and what about, Bella, huh? If you can switch your attention that quickly then you don't deserve that girl…"

"Emmett calm down," I tried to reason through my laughing.

"Fuck you, after drooling over Bella for the last week, you've giving up already? Maybe Newton would be better for her? I know he's always had a thing for her."

My laughter stopped.

"There's no way fucking Newton is going anywhere near my Bella." I stood from my chair, deciding I now needed air, and made my way through the clear door of the station.

"Oh so now she's your Bella? One girl not good enough for you now, Dickhead?" Emmett shouted while following me across the parking lot towards the car.

"Fuck off, Emmett. You're over-reacting." I yelled back. He stopped just outside the station which left a good bit of distance between us, and I could feel other people watching our exchange in the parking lot, but I didn't care.

"I might just ask Newton to watch over Bella while I'm away this week. Take her out to dinner or the movies. He could even take Leah with them and…"

I cut off his rambling by throwing a stone from the ground at him. "Fuck Eddie, you throw like a girl," he whined while clutching his stomach where the stone hit him.

"Shut the fuck up about Newton. He's getting nowhere near my girls, and if you start this shit again I swear I'm gonna take that stone and -" I took a deep breath as Emmett stood in front of me, laughing. "What the fuck are you laughing about?" I was pissed off now. I just wanted to get back to Forks and spend my weekend with Bella and the kids.

"You," he chuckled loudly. "I was just teasing you Eddie. I know you have no interest in Rose, but your face man… you really think I would let Bella go out with Newton? He's a douche."

"Fuck off, Emmett." I turned and opened the car door, leaving him at the station, and headed back to the hotel.

XXX

After seven hours of sleep and two phone calls to Bella, I felt more calm and relaxed. Jasper and Emmett spent most of the day at the hospital with Rosalie.

It was now night time, and I had barely eaten anything all day. So I found a nice little cafe just beside the hospital and ordered myself a large steak and potatoes meal. I sent a text to Emmett hoping that he would join me for a bite. I wanted to find out what happened when he was interviewed. I was halfway through my meal when my phone buzzed. I grinned when it was a message from Bella.

_**Is Anthony allergic to peanuts? - B**_

_Nope, just carrots. x - E_

_**Carrots? He had carrot cake at your mom's yesterday. -B**_

_Lol, he's not allergic really. He just refuses to eat them. x -E_

_**Lol, I get it now. - B**_

_**What u doing? - B **_

I started to feel like my face was permanently fixed with a smile nowadays. She was so cute. She used my son as an excuse to talk to me. I could live with that. Her enthusiasm to talk to me was giving me hope that maybe she liked me more than she pretended.

_Just grabbing some dinner. What are u doing? x - E_

_**Making dessert. ;) - B**_

_Mmm, what are u making? x -E_

_**Walnut and chocolate cake, with cream. - B**_

_Whipped cream? - E_

My mind started forming pictures of me licking whipped cream off Bella's body. I couldn't wait to get back home.

_**Yep. It's Leah's favorite. -B**_

And just like that she shattered my whole sexual fantasy and replaced it with an image of Leah's face covered in chocolate and cream.

_**I'll have to remember that. What's ur's beautiful? xx -E**_

She took a bit longer to reply this time, so I finished my dinner hoping I hadn't gone too far. I refused to hide my feelings from her, unless she decided she didn't want me romantically; but I also didn't want to push her too far, too quickly.

I took a deep breath when she replied, hoping that she wouldn't shut me out.

_**Strawberry cheesecake. ;) What's ur's? -B**_

Strawberries, mmm. My mind created dirty images again.

_Chocolate cinnamon mousse. x- E_

I enjoyed getting to really know Bella. I had spent most of the weekend talking to her, getting to know her better, and the more I found out about her, the more I wanted to be with her.

"Hey," Jasper greeted, taking the seat opposite me in the booth.

I raised an eyebrow silently asking him what he was doing here.

"Emmett told me you were here._"_

"How's Rosalie?" I asked while reading Bella's message.

_**Mmm, that sounds great. You'll have to make it for me when you get back. ;) -B**_

"She's doing okay. Doctor said she can come back with us tomorrow if she goes to see a local doctor as soon as she gets to Forks." I nodded my head, letting him know I was still listening to him

. _I would love to make it for you. What's ur favorite meal? I could make that too. x –E_

Maybe I could cook dinner for just the two of us.

"Emmett said that your dad's a doctor?" He asked. I looked up at him. His eyes were pleading for my help.

"Yeah, I could ask him to see her if you want." I knew my dad would never refuse her.

"Thank you, Edward, I would really be grateful."

**Spag Bol. -B**

I laughed out loud. Out of all the meals in the world, Bella's would be a classic dish. It was also Anthony's favorite. Just another thing that they both seemed to have in common.

"What's funny?" Jasper asked.

"Bella's favorite dish," was the only answer I gave him. I could see his reaction from the corner of my eye. He didn't give anything away, but his hands clenched into fists which spoke volumes to me.

"You want to grab a drink while we wait for Emmett?" He changed the subject. I looked up at him as he titled his head towards the bar across the street.

"Sure," I replied. I could really use a drink after the day I've had. I paid my bill, sent Bella another text, and followed Jasper towards the bar.

**What do you think? Let me know please :-) BB**


	16. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, I want to say a big thank you to everyone for their kind words throughout the last year. It has been a horrible year but things are looking brighter.**

**Secondly, a huge thank you to my beta for sticking with me.**

**Lastly, a thank you to everyone to add me to their story alert over the last year.**

enjoy

Recap

Bella has recently moved back to her hometown of Forks with her daughter, Leah, after they were both kidnapped and held hostage. Leah has not spoken a word aloud since. They moved next door to Edward and his son, Anthony. Edward did not get to see Anthony until he was almost six months old, when he gained full custody. Edward is still in contact with Anthony's mother, but does not let her see him. Leah has formed a bond with Edward and Anthony, and Edward had an instant attraction to Bella; however, Bella wanted to focus on her daughter. In the last chapter, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper had travelled to, Phoenix, where they discovered that Rose had been in an abusive relationship. While there, the boys' found themselves in a bit of trouble.

**Speak Chapter 13**

_"You want to grab a drink while we wait for Emmett?" He changed the subject. I looked up at him as he tilted his head towards the bar across the street._

_"Sure," I replied. I could really use a drink after the day I've had._

_I paid my bill, sent Bella another text, and followed Jasper towards the bar_.

**Daddyward-** **Saturday Evening **

"So you and Bella seem to be getting along," Jasper voiced. His comment didn't surprise me. We had been in this bar for about an hour now and Jasper has been dodging around talking about Bella since we got here. I was not going to give him anything unless he asked. We aren't friends. There was something about him that I didn't like. My gut was telling me that it had something to do with Bella, and I'm not sure how much I wanted to know about them. The thought of him with her made my blood boil.

"Yeah, we are." I looked back at the singer on the stage. Her voice was raspy and beautiful as she sang one of Adele's songs in perfect key. The bar was busy, but not over crowed. The smell of onion rings hung in the air; it made me think of my parents' 4th of July parties.

"Look, here's the thing." I knew this was coming so I looked him in the eyes and listened to what he would say. I knew there wasn't anything he could say that would change my mind about Bella. "I've known Bella for a very long time. I was there when Jake died; when Leah was born, when she met James, I was there through it all. I'm very protective of her and Leah. They are family."

He said the last sentence slowly, making sure I understood him clearly, and I did. If Bella told me to stay away, then I would, but she's the only one that could do that.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere until she orders me too, and the same goes for Leah." I voiced hoping that I made myself clear and that he would back off.

"Bella would never do that, she's too polite." He huffed before he stood up and walked to the bar. I knew he wasn't happy with my answer, but he'd just have to get used to it.

My mood picked up when my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a picture of Anthony in his underwear holding a large chocolate cake in his hands. He looked so proud and so happy. When I tried to cook with him a couple of years ago, he wasn't very interested in making food, just eating it. Therefore, I thought that he didn't share my love of cooking; but looking at his face in that picture tells me a different story. Maybe he was just too young before? I made a mental note to spend some time teaching him the basics and see how he felt about it. I quickly texted Bella back and set the picture as my wallpaper.

"I thought we should get something harder to drink," Jasper said and placed a tray with six tequila shots, limes, and salt in front of me.

"Tequila?"

"Yep, you've had tequila before, haven't you?"

I nodded my head and picked one up.

~speak~

_ 'You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh_

_That's what makes you beautiful'_

I take a bow and stumble off the stage where Jasper handed me another drink.

"Okay, if I win this one, you have to sing whatever song I pick up there." I slurred at Jasper. He stood in front of me; his blonde hair looked wild and untamed. His smug smile made me laugh loudly. I'm not sure what has happened over the last five, six, or two hours, but my hatred for this guy has gone and I'm actually having fun, beating his arse at pool.

"Fine, and if I win, you have to get that girl over there," he pointed at some blonde at the main bar, "to buy the next round."

"Ah, easy." I moved through the crowd to the girl and squeezed my way between the girl and her friends. I turned to face the girl, and rested my elbow on the bar.

"Hello," I gave her what my sister says is my 'panty dropping smile' "how are you?"

The blonde laughed. She was very tall for a woman and had the biggest tits I've ever seen. I tried to be the gentleman that my mother raised, but I couldn't take my eyes away from there. Her top did not hide them very well, they were just sitting there whispering "Edward touch me, Edward, look at me."

"Your tits are so huuugge." I raised my hand out. They wanted me to touch them, just a little touch, and a little squeeze. I went to rest my foot on the stool she was sitting on, that way I could get close to them. However, I miss judged the distance and my foot slipped. I ended up on the floor with my head in between her legs.

"Fuck," I mumbled, and the girl yelled and moved away. I could feel my body falling. I closed my eyes, ready for the impact of the floor but it never came.

"Whoa, you okay?" Jasper helped me up and I sat on the stool that the blonde had now left.

"I think I've had a bit too much to drink," I chuckled.

"Yeah, we didn't even play the next game," he laughed "guess you don't drink much?"

"No, I've got Anthony to look after." Anthony? Bella? Shit, I had forgotten all about them.

"Shit," I rubbed the back of my neck. How did that happen?  
"I need to take a piss," I mumbled before making my way outside to the parking lot for some privacy.

It took me a couple of minutes of trying to read my phone, but I managed to call Bella.

"Edward?" I felt my body relax when I heard her voice.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Edward, do you know what time it is?" I could hear a little irritation in her voice.

"No, shit, we're you sleeping? Sorry, Love, you were sleeping, but I needed to hear your voice. I needed to tell you that I have not forgotten you. I haven't, I can't forgot you. God, Love, what have done to me? I want to see you. Can I come see you, now, Love, can I see you?"

"Edward, are you drunk? Where are you?"

"Jasper bought tequila, Love, and I fell into tits. Huge, massive tits." I tried to explain to her what happened because I didn't want her to think that I had forgotten about her. I could never forget about her.

"What?" I could hear her laugh. It felt good to make her laugh.

"I wish they were your tits." I told her honestly. 'Your tits always look amazing. I can't wait til you let me burry my face in those babies." I gave out a happy sigh. Just the thought of getting close to Bella's breasts had me hard.

"Jesus, Edward," she breathed.

We were silent for a few minutes while I tried to find my voice again. What has this girl done to me? I've become a clingy, emotional, horn dog since I met her.

"There you are." Jasper interrupted us. He had a girl on each arm and a bottle in his hand. It was at that moment I realized what he had been doing all night.

"Is that Jasper?" Bella asked. Gone was the sweet giggling voice, it was now replaced with a strong but confused voice.

"Yeah, I'll explain tomorrow. I've gotta go right now." I turned my back to Jasper and the girls and whispered, "Give the girls a good grope from me."

She rewarded me with another giggle. "Goodnight, beautiful, I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Give the kids a kiss from me."

'I will. Goodnight, Edward." I could hear the smile in her voice. I was sure I had a smile to match.

"Night, night, Darling." I hung up and tried to put my phone back into my pocket.

"Who was that?" Jasper asked. The redhead was giggling at something on the ground while the blonde stared at me. I kept fidgeting with phone; the blonde was making me very uncomfortable.

"Bella," I smiled. I was guessing that his drinking games and now the girls were his way of trying to get her off my mind and maybe catch me with a girl- hoping to show, Bella, what kind of guy he thinks I really am.

'Bella, Bella, Bella," he sang while he detangled himself from the girls. The way he was singing her name made my blood boil. "Beautiful, Bella. Now there's a woman that knows how to please a man," he said while he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

I didn't even think about my actions. My hand responded to his words on its own accord aiming at its target. My fist met Jasper's face very quickly, I could hear the girls' scream and there was a sharp burning in my hand.

"Owe! What the fuck was that for? You jealous?" He laughed which made me want to swing for him again.

"You'd better stay the hell away from her," I warned him. I did not trust this guy to be anywhere near my girls.

"Never going to happen, I'm family."

"I don't give a shit what you are. You touch my girl again and I will kill you," I spitted. I had to lean against the wall behind me, my legs suddenly felt very heavy and my head started feeling fuzzy.

"Your girl?" he laugh some more. "You're insane. Bella is not your girlfriend, Eddie. You'll be lucky if she gives you the time of day when I move back."

His laughing really pissed me off. I gathered all the strength I could and lunched myself full force at him.

He wasn't expecting me and we both fell onto the hard ground. Punches were thrown left and right, our bodies tumbled around on the hard, gravelly asphalt of the parking lot.

"What the hell is going on?" I heard Emmett yell before he pulled Jasper and me apart.

"Get the fuck off me!" I yelled trying to pull my way out of his hold.

"Just calm the fuck down first."

Jasper sat on the ground and wiped the blood from his lip.

"Let me go, Emmett!"

"Calm down and then I'll let you go."

I did as he asked. My head was spinning from the alcohol and my hand throbbed with pain.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on here?" Emmett shouted while his head moved back and forth between us. _Which so did not help with the whole head spinning thing I had going on. _

"Eddie's pissed that I've slept with Bella."

Emmett let out a deep sigh before burning me with his blue eyes. "Rose is getting out tomorrow. Let's get back to the hotel and get some sleep. We're going to have to fly home tomorrow and you," he pointed at Jasper, "stop winding him up about Bells. And you," he turned to me, "we're going to have a long talk about your obsession with her."

"I'm not obsessed," I whispered half heartily.

"Sure, whatever, Eddie."

"Fly?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, we, um, sortofdon'thavethecruiseranymore," Emmett quickly said as he looked down taking a sudden interest in the ground.

"What happened to the cruiser?" I asked him.

"I'll explain tomorrow, let's just get to bed. I'm exhausted," and with that he turned away from me and started walking towards our hotel.

~speak~

**Daddyward- Sunday Morning **

My mind slowly awakened. I could feel something cold, hard, almost like marble on my face. I tried to open my eyes but they wouldn't obey, instead I slowly moved my legs that were stiff and very sore.

A groan escaped my mouth and again I tried to open my eyes, but again they refused. My arms were heavy and my head felt light and dizzy. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Music suddenly blasted somewhere close by. I grabbed my head in pain, I felt like my head was about to explode from the music that was playing... music? I moved my head towards the music – bad idea. I could feel the room start to spin with my eyes closed.

The music finally stopped and I took a deep breath. The coldness on my face was refreshing, but it felt too hard and uncomfortable. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around very slowly.

I was alone, in a bathroom.

My head had been on the toilet and from the smell of it, I'm sure my stomach had been in it.

The music started again. It was very close. It took me a couple of minutes before I realized that the music was a ring tone- my ring tone. I pulled my phone from my jean pocket and smiled to myself.

It was Bella.

"Morning," I crocked out.

"DADDY," Anthony yelled into my ear. _Argh, not the best thing this morning._

"Hey, buddy, you don't have to shout at me, I can hear you."

"Okay," he giggled, "you coming home today? You said two sleeps and it's been two sleeps. Bella said you're coming home today."

I could hear the panic in his voice, which made my heart ache. Things had changed very quickly this week and they would change even more in the next few weeks. Not only was my little boy growing up and starting school, but we had also gained two neighbors whom I hoped would become a big part of our lives.

"Of course I am, buddy, I'm not sure what time, but I'll make sure Uncle Emmett drives really fast. Are you behaving for Bella?" I asked, leaning back on the toilet.

"Yeah, we can't go to the beach because it's raining. Bella says it's heavy rain."

"Oh that's a shame; we'll just have to go another day," I replied.

"Bella and Leah too?" He asked.

"Yeah, Buddy, we can all go." I took a deep breath trying to keep the nausea at bay.

"Is Bella there?"

"Uh huh, she's cooking us waffles with strawberries and cream, Daddy. I like cream..." he broke off for a second, "Leah asked if you're almost home?"

I smiled at the thought of Leah talking to Anthony. I had told Bella that Leah speaks to Anthony and what she had said so far. She was happy that she finally talked to someone, but I knew she wished it were her. I can't imagine not hearing Anthony call my name or not chat to him whenever I wanted. It would kill me to lose that part of our relationship. I just hoped that things would change and better for them- they both deserve it.

"Tell her I'm leaving very soon, and could you put Bella on the phone please, buddy?"

"Okay, tell Uncle Em to go really fast, like Batman fast."

"I will, son, I love you," I chuckled, which did not help the major headache I had.

"Love you, too."

"Hello," Bella's voice replaced my son's.

"Morning, beautiful," I croaked.

"How are you feeling this morning? Hung-over?" She asked.

"A little." _A lot_.

"You were really drunk," she giggled. I guess I called her last night. I can't remember calling her... then again, I can't remember very much.

"Shit, what did I…"

"Eddie, you awake?" A female voice called from the bedroom.

_What the fuck?_

"Edward?" Bella asked, alerting me that she'd heard the female voice.

"Um, I, I," I stumbled.

"Eddie?" The women called again before she appeared from behind the bathroom door, wearing nothing, but one of my t-shirts. _Again, what the fuck?_

"Um?" I wanted to ask who she was and why she was wearing my clothes, but the words would not come out of my mouth.

"There you are?" She muttered sweetly. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, her eyes smudged with make-up, and her face was patchy from sleeping with her foundation. Her body was very small, all bones, no curves or anything. She was everything I didn't like in a woman.

"I'm going to go since you have company this morning." Bella's tight voice hit my ears.

"Bella, wait!" I yelled into the phone, panicked by her voice. But she was gone. _Shit._

What have I done? Have I really thrown away my chances with the only woman I have ever had any real feelings for, before we had even begun. For what? A woman that I struggled to even look at?

Something wasn't right. This wasn't me. I don't just pick up random women to sleep with.

Besides, I didn't like blondes.

"What is that smell?" The woman wriggled her nose in disgust. Instead of answering her, I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. I wished I could remember last night; it was still coming up blank.

"Argh, it smells of sick. Flush that toilet, brush your teeth and then you can join me in the shower." She winked before bending over to turn the shower on, giving me a view of red lace panties.

I turned my head away from the awful view. She had nothing on my Bella. My Bella was a woman; with womanly curves, beautiful long legs, hips that I couldn't wait to get my hands on, an ass that I dreamed about every night, boobs that would fit perfectly in my hands, eyes that I got lost in, a face so beautiful I couldn't look away, and long brown hair that I wanted to run my fingers through.

There is no way I could be with anyone else.

"Eddie, aren't you coming in?" The woman purred from inside the shower, my t-shirt now lay next to me on the floor.

"Fuck, no!" I grunted.

"Glad to hear." I looked up to find Jasper leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded in front of his chest. He was sporting a black eye and there was a burst lip on the smirk he was wearing.

"What the fuck happened to you?"

He raised his left eyebrow at me. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head, "I don't remember anything."

"Maybe you shouldn't drink so much next time. Come on I'll fill you in on the way to the station."

"Station?"

"Yeah, Emmett has been arrested. Let's hope that Charlie can get his ass out of this mess," he chuckled.

"Shit, if Charlie's involved it can't be goo-"

"Will you boys hurry up and get in here. There's plenty of room of the three of us." The mystery woman pulled the shower curtain open. She was completely naked and wet.

I shuddered and stuck my head back into the toilet where the rest of my stomach emptied. Jasper's laughter made my headache worse.

I groaned in pain. _I just wanted to go home._

~speak~

**Momella**

"What time is Daddy coming home?" Anthony asked again. It started slowly, only every three or four hours. Now it was almost every half hour he asked about Edward. I could feel the panic that was setting in him. His eyes drifted to the front door every few minutes and he struggled concentrating on anything else.

I knew that they had not spent much time apart, but I was worried about Anthony's anxiety at being away from his father. I knew that was just another topic to add to my growing list that I needed to speak to Edward about.

"He'll be home soon, Pants."

"Can I call him?" he asked. His eyes were wide with unshed tears. I was having a very hard time saying no to this boy.

"Okay," I pulled my phone out. I had not spoken to him since this morning. He had tried to call me back not long after I hung up on him, but I was still trying to get my head wrapped around my feelings for him. His drunken rambling last night was so sweet and I found myself giggling like fifteen year-old. I went to bed feeling happy and light for the first time in a long time.

I even woke up with a smile on my face and a swing in my step. My father even noticed my good mood; but when I heard a woman speaking in the background in his hotel, my whole body felt like it was being ripped apart. He had spent the night with a girl. I should be happy that he had fun, but I wasn't. I was hurt and angry and it took all morning for me to process these feelings.

At first, I thought it was because of his comments. He had made it clear that he was attracted to me and would like to develop something romantically. I was the one who told him that I wanted to be friends. I was the one who had kept him at a distance or at least tried too.

Now I was the one sitting at home, wishing that I had never knew about the other girl. If I didn't know about her, than I wouldn't have to analyze my feelings for Edward before I was ready.

The truth was that I was still not ready for anything romantic, especially with next week coming up.

The phone went straight to voicemail. "His phone is still off. He must be in an area where there isn't cell service sweetheart."

"Okay." He suddenly walked out of the living room. He looked so defeated, I cursed Edward. He was supposed to be back hours ago. He promised Anthony he would take him out for dinner and instead he was too busy with some girl.

I needed to do something to get my mind off plotting Edwards's death.

I walked towards Leah's room thinking that I would take them out instead. The rain wasn't as heavy anymore, but it was dark outside and the heavy clouds made it appear later than it was.

I stopped outside her door, I knew I shouldn't, but I wanted to listen and try to hear if Leah would talk. I knew she talked to Anthony, but I've never heard her. If only I could just get a chance to hear something… anything.

"I will be Batman, and you can be Robin."

"You want to be Batman then?"

'We need to stop the Joker, Robin. He's robbed that bank."

I was a little disappointed that Leah didn't talk back to him, but I was hopeful that I would hear her soon.

I listened as they played for a few more seconds before I grabbed my camera and sneaked a few pictures of them. Leah saw me and stopped playing, but she was smiling at me with a grin that was so like Jake's.

"You guys want to go out for dinner?" I asked them.

"Is Daddy here?" Anthony asked excitedly.

"Not yet. But I'm sure he won't be much longer now." _Damn, Edward, where are you?_

"The first person to get their coats and shoes on gets to pick dessert." With that, they both raced to the door, fighting over coats and shoes.

~speak~

The rain thudded on my roof. It was very heavy now, and I was glad we made it back before the sky opened up again. It was still warm though, and I had changed from my favorite jeans and sweater into black yoga pants and a purple tank top.

Anthony had fallen asleep at the restaurant and as luck was on my side today, Leah fell asleep in the car on the way home. I managed to carry two sleeping kids into the house- a task I wasn't in a hurry to repeat.

I opened a bottle of wine and put on Sex and City. It was one of my favorite shows. I used to wish I had Carrie's life. It was so exciting and glamorous. Gone was that dream, my dream now was just to have a happy, healthy and safe daughter.

Just as the DVD started to set up, there was a timid knock on my door. I quickly sat my glass down, cursing at whoever was disturbing my show.

I could hear the rain rattling off the drain gutters on the roof. I suddenly realized how quiet the house was. The rain was the only sound I could hear.

I unlocked the door and found a very wet Edward Cullen at my door.

"Hi," he whispered.

I opened the door to let him in.

His hair was flat against his head and his beautiful eyes were dull and sad.

"You were supposed to be back hours ago." I sternly whispered and walked back into the living room. I knew he would follow and he did.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's not me that you need to apologize to. Your son is heartbroken." I tuned to face him and instantly felt bad. His eyes were filled with tears.

"Where is he?" He whispered- his voice was weak and shaky.

"Sleeping." I walked away from him to collect towels, and to secretly stop myself from shaking. Why was I so nervous?

When I returned, he was looking out the window. He had removed his blue jacket and folded it in his arms across his chest. He looked so powerful, so strong, like a man on top of the world.

He must have heard me because he turned around and gave a small smile. He looked worried and as nervous as I was.

"Here." He took the towels from me and started to dry his hair. I was used to the sex hair, sticking up in every direction. But right now it was flat and dark which made him look a little bit dangerous.

'Bella, I need..." I cut him off with one of the questions I wanted answers too. This man had an effect on me that I can't put into words, and I knew that if I let him talk then I would let my guard down and let him in. Right now I still couldn't do that, especially after I heard that woman through the phone this morning.

"Did you tell your sister to put you on Leah's release list for school?" I asked, I did not hide my frustration in my voice and by Edward's shocked reaction, I could guess he could tell.

"I… I…," he took in a deep breath. His shoulders fell in defeat, "Yes."

"Yes? What gives you the right Edward? You can't make that decision. That is my decision to make. You should have asked me. Just because your sister is the…"

"It had nothing to do with Bree," he cut me off.

"Really, you would have phoned Mr. Banner if he was still there as well?"

"Yes, what if you're at work and Leah was to get sick? Emmett's unavailable, your dad's at work, and I am the only one able to pick her up from the school?"

"That's not the point." I could hear my voice getting louder. "You should have asked me before you…"

I was cut off by a loud piercing scream. My legs moved automatically, running through the hallway into Leah's room.

My beautiful little girl was tossing and turning around in her bed in pain, her voice echoed that pain throughout the room.

I kneeled down at the side of her bed, I could feel Edward in the room, but I refused to look at him.

"Leah, Leah, wake up." I touched her shoulder trying to calm her. I was told by our first therapist not to shake her awake. I was to be gentle and coax her out of her nightmares; but sometimes that was not possible, I was hoping tonight it would work.

"Bella?" I heard the concern in his voice, but I couldn't answer him right now.

"Leah, wake up honey." I pushed her a little more forcefully.

"Daddy," Anthony cried while running into the room. He looked at Edward and then at Leah.

"Hey, buddy." Edward pulled him into his arms.

I tried to wake Leah up while Edward tried to stop Anthony from crying. I could hear him whisper to him, telling him that he loved him and that everything was okay.

After a few minutes, Leah had stopped screaming but was crying instead. She was still asleep. This was the first time I couldn't get her to wake up during one of her nightmares.

Edward moved around the opposite side of Leah's bed. Anthony was still in his arms, but he had stopped crying. I whispered into Leah's ear and watched Edward from the corner of my eye. He kneeled down beside Leah and shook her slightly and told her to wake up in a smooth, but demanding, voice. If my daughter wasn't hurting right now, I might have found the voice arousing, but I pushed those thoughts away.

Leah's eyes snapped open. She looked so afraid, but relaxed when she saw us.

"You okay, princess?" Edward opened the arm that Anthony wasn't attached too, and Leah crawled to him. Her cries were now quiet sobs. Edward pulled both kids to him and stood up.

"Bella, may we spend the night with you?" I was in shock at Leah's actions. She has never gone to a man after a nightmare. She always wanted Rose or me.

"Bella?" His eyes pleaded with me. He didn't want to leave us… leave Leah.

I couldn't answer him so I nodded my head. He gave me a small smile and held out his hand to me as much as he could.

I may not trust this man completely, but my daughter did. I needed to trust my daughter. I knew that she didn't like James very much, but I thought she had just needed time to get to know him. But she knew better, she knew that he had something evil inside him, and I did not trust her judgement. I wasn't going to make that mistake twice. So I took his hand and followed him as he led us to my bedroom. He placed both kids into the bed and whispered something that made them both giggle.

"Bella, get in," Anthony giggled. Leah's eyes were still sad, but she had a smile on her beautiful face. I looked up at Edward who was removing his shoes before climbing into the bed with Leah next to him then Anthony. All three of them looked at me and waited for me to crawl in, so I did.

I spent the next hour laughing and joking until the kids fell into a peaceful sleep. I looked at the man across from me; his green eyes were alive with happiness and found myself grinning at him.

His smile was breath-taking, and I found myself staring at his lips. His low soft voice broke me from my staring.

"Bella, I need to tell you something."

**what do you think, let me know**.


End file.
